by Alex HendersonMany of the artists who were part of Britain's soul scene of the late '80s\u002Fearly '90s, including Soul II Soul, Lisa Stansfield, and Caron Wheeler, took a high-tech, neo-soul approach, combining '70s-influenced R&B and disco with elements of hip-hop. The equally impressive Brand New Heavies, however, used technology sparingly, stressed the use of real instruments, and were unapologetically retro and '70s-sounding through and through. Drawing on such influences as the Average White Band and Tower of Power, the Heavies triumph by sticking with the classic R&B approach they clearly love the most. The band has a jewel of a singer in N'Dea Davenport, who is characteristically expressive on Dream Come True and Stay This Way. Real horns -- not synthesizers made to sound like horns -- enrich those gems as well as the sweaty vocal funk of People Get Ready and Put the Funk Back in It and the jazz-influenced instrumental BNH. While this fine album enjoyed cult hit status, it was sadly ignored by American urban contemporary radio.