songs suggests a grown-up Everly Brothers, straining still to be starry-eyed but savvy enough to have survived love's disenchantments. "The secret on your lips/That nobody knows/Gentle in your eyes/You can wear my clothes," Sweet sings on "I've Been Waiting," as he plays the role of desperate courtier; in "Thought I Knew You," his more jaded self undercuts the gushing – "I thought I knew you/But I wasn't even close/I had my heart set/On little more than a ghost."

Musically, Sweet is equally adept at balancing the tough and the tender. With a lineup featuring ace guitarists Richard Lloyd and Robert Quine, this is an ad hoc band that manages to recall the crunch of Crazy Horse, as well as the sonic gorgeousness of Revolver-period Beatles. Lloyd Cole guest stars, Fred Maher and Ric Menck alternate on drums, and Greg Leisz on pedal steel is Girlfriend's secret weapon. But Sweet himself, handling guitar, bass and all vocals, is the record's most engaging force – and as a writer, he's a one-man factory of hooks.

Warmer and stronger than his two previous solo albums, Girlfriend should, with any justice, be Sweet's breakthrough. This is popcraft raised to the level of artistry – a rock & roll valentine that delivers subtle wisdom with an exhilarating kick. (RS 622)

PAUL EVANS