kicks hard behind the clipped funk buzz of Stewart's synths while a multitracked Lennox cooks like LaBelle on fire. On the striking title track, a bluesy, desperate-sounding Lennox digs into the dark corners of our pleasure zones with none of Soft Cell's decadent smarminess. And the simple, dreamy "Jennifer" employs echoey, Philip Glass-type vocal harmonies to heighten the song's intimations of suicide. Even when they resort to the obvious–which they do with the snappy, disco-style syncopation and shrill, girl-group-style chorus of "Love Is a Stranger"–Eurythmics always apply their electronics with nervy pop flair. At a time when most synth boogie is just New Wave party Muzak, Sweet Dreams is quite an adventure. (RS 398)

DAVID FRICKE