Harden My Heart," the haunting single that's pushed Quarterflash's debut album into the Top Twenty, is a production triumph for John Boylan. Boylan's irresistibly creamy blend of harmonized West Coast rock & roll and twitchy power pop suggests a velvety fusion of Fleetwood Mac, the softer side of Heart and the Pretenders at their most commercial. Singer-saxophonist Rindy Ross, with her elegantly soulful vocals punctuated by moody horn breaks, is the key to the band's sound. Unfortunately, none of Quarterflash's other songs is anywhere near as catchy as "Harden My Heart," and in those where co-lead singer Jack Charles takes over from Ross, Quarterflash are just another bland post-Eagles harmony group with nothing to say. (RS 363)

STEPHEN HOLDEN