More than any other group in rock today, Loverboy understands the power and illusions of young lust. With their hot-and-heavy lyrics, insinuating melodies and snickering album titles – I guess if you Get Lucky, you'd better Keep It Up – the band makes it plain that its idea of romance isn't just fluttering hearts and whispered promises. But despite such heavy-breathing titles as "Hot Girls in Love" and "Passion Pit," Loverboy's songs aren't as cartoonishly sexist as one might expect. In "Queen of the Broken Hearts," singer Mike Reno points out that "she's not that kind of girl," and the typical Loverboy sex scene is as concerned with emotional burdens as with physical release. Granted, this may be just a cynical ploy to make Reno more appealingly romantic than the typical heavy-rock frontman, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

Musically, however, Loverboy seems to be faltering. Keep It Up is smooth, consistent and likely to satisfy the band's already substantial following. But only "Passion Pit" and "Chance of a Lifetime" boast enough rhythmic spunk to be dance-floor possibilities, and the only cut on Keep It Up that comes close to Get Lucky's "Working for the Weekend" is the ballad "It's Never Easy." If Loverboy doesn't come up with some better songs, the band may wind up having to call its next album Let Me Back In. (RS 402)

J.D. CONSIDINE