The celebratory feeling is stronger on
TBNH than it is on any of
the Brand New Heavies' ten preceding studio albums. Since
Sweet Freaks in 2014, principals
Andrew Levy and
Simon Bartholomew have returned to the
Acid Jazz label and changed lead singers yet again, joined now by the bubbly but not saccharine
Angela Ricci. The vocalist is the lead on only three songs, however, with past
BNH members
N'Dea Davenport and
Siedah Garrett and other guests (including
Angie Stone,
Beverley Knight, and
Jack Knight) taking turns on a set of fully decked-out disco. The rotation works to the advantage of
Levy and
Bartholomew, who also get songwriting input from most of the singers and tend to keep it fresh, even with clear references and likenesses to well-known late-'70s/early-'80s material by artists such as
the Miracles,
Diana Ross,
the Emotions, and
Prince. Their neatest trick is pulled with
Davenport and guest co-producer slash superfan
Mark Ronson, who give
Kendrick Lamar's "These Walls" a subtly dazzling makeover with a twisting rhythm a bit like that of
Womack & Womack's "Baby I'm Scared of You." ~ Andy Kellman
