England has certainly exported its share of "soul" bands in recent years, usually white boys with some rhythm, a sensitive-sounding (i.e., wimpy) lead singer and very little originality. Now, after the likes of Haircut One Hundred and Spandau Ballet have had their day without giving Smokey Robinson much to worry about, here comes Britain's latest soul sensation, Simply Red. The band's look alone is likely to draw comparisons to Culture Club: like Boy George on Kissing to Be Clever, lead singer Mick "Red" Hucknall and his hair are featured alone on the album's front cover. But Simply Red can do without the comparison, or categorization, because for once here's a new, very accessible band that doesn't quite sound like anyone else.

Oh, sure, you can tell they've listened to plenty of Temptations, Eddie Floyd, Oscar Peterson and even Earl Klugh, and Hucknall can sound as bitter and mournful as Neil Young and as clear and committed as David Ruffin. What's impressive is the way they disguise, alter, mix and match all these influences into a durable, cohesive compound. Every song holds some small surprise, like the single "Holding Back the Years," which is shaping up into the left-field hit of the year. At first nothing much seems to happen except three piano chords, and you start to wonder how this song got on the radio. Then the refrain doesn't come up when it should, and when it does it's repeated more times than you're conditioned to expect, and you're still wondering how it got on the radio, and then a soft, subtle, killer hook grabs you, and you don't want it to go off the radio. The way that this song isn't locked into anything that's happening today makes it just a little timeless: it probably could have been a hit in 1973, or would be in 1993 for that matter.

The one unsurprising element in Picture Book's success is its producer, Stewart Levine, whose last unexpected gem was Womack and Womack's Love Wars in 1983. Levine's other credentials include playing sax on Little Eva's "Loco-motion," producing Hugh Masekela's "Grazing in the Grass" and being Quincy Jones's son-in-law. Unlike Jones, Levine produces with a restrained touch, not a bold stroke. For instance, the tasteful horn fills on "Holding Back the Years" just seem to, well, make sense. Levine shows respect for the musicians, and you get the feeling these guys really believe in each other and the music they're making.

With any luck, Simply Red won't be spoiled by excessive media exposure. It would be a shame to see, for instance, Hucknall become the darling of fashion magazines. Simply Red will be a lot better off if they don't turn into the next Culture Club. (RS 477)

ROB HOERBURGER