By the time
the Brand New Heavies released
Shelter in 1997, urban R&B was shifting toward the more organic grooves that they helped pioneer in the early '90s. Although
the Heavies were into acid jazz as well, they smoothed over many of the experimental elements of their music in the mid-'90s, leaving behind a seductive, earthy, and jazzy variation of urban soul. That provided the foundation for
Shelter, their first album featuring
Siedah Garrett as lead singer. Garrett's smooth voice helps push the band toward more conventional territory, yet their songwriting is stronger than most of the contemporaries, and their sound is funkier and more convincing. While there are no standout singles on
Shelter, it's a uniformly engaging listen, illustrating that
the Brand New Heavies are one of the great underrated urban R&B bands of the '90s. ~ Leo Stanley