On their American debut, In the Name of Love, the Thompson Twins were a welcome alternative to the arch synth-pop then rolling across the Atlantic. Working with a bubbly, salsa-inflected bounce instead of the usual electronic angst, the Thompsons (none of whom is named Thompson) were as fun as they were tuneful. Their new album, Side Kicks, is fun too, and is just as likely to leave you humming. But with their lineup condensed from seven members to three, the band now relies almost exclusively on synthesizers and percussion, and though they've come up with an impressive synth version of a string-popping funk bass, they have yet to find an adequate substitute for Peter Dodd's chattering guitar. Consequently, most of the instrumental tracks are locked in a percussion-and-synthesizer style that isn't appreciably different from late-Seventies disco. Still, the band has retained most of its wit, and that adds sparkle to the arrangements of "Love on Your Side" and the lively "Lies," and salvages a dreary "Hernando's Hideaway" take-off entitled "We Are Detective." And in the end, Side Kicks is better than no kicks at all. (RS 393)

J.D. CONSIDINE