Downright upbeat is the best way to describe Kool & the Gang. With customary ease, this veteran pop-ensemble glides through the breezy funk tunes of In the Heart (incredibly enough, their thirty-fifth album). Ushering in the title song with some chiming harmony vocals, the Gang wastes no time in making a positive statement about the importance of open declarations of love, a message that's reinforced by sweetened synthesizers, ringing guitars and daredevil horn charts. This aura of service-club good will permeates every tune–so much so, in fact, that one never knows whether to dance to the band's good grooves or simply sway along in a smiling good reverie. Still, such irresistible uptempo numbers as "Tonight," "Rollin'" and "Straight Ahead" are enough to sustain any dance party.

Unfortunately, Kool & the Gang falter on the slower serenades, particularly "Home Is Where the Heart Is" and "Place for Us," which deal with wholesome though obvious truisms. Still, despite that and the fact that it lacks a killer hit on the caliber of "Let's Go Dancing (Ooh La La La)," In the Heart is state-of-the-art soul, brimming with optimism. (RS 414)

ERROL SOMAY