Listening to the Neville Brothers' Family Groove in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict lends an undeniable poignancy, as well as an aura of sad prescience, to what might otherwise have sounded like overused uplifting bromides and familiar depictions of despair. Songs like "Line of Fire" ("Put down that gun .../Get off that corner/You're in the line of fire"), "Day to Day Thing" ("You turn on the evening news/And find out there's no place safe/They're killing people left and right") and "One More Day" ("When hungry homeless families become an angry mob/Nature takes its course") could easily have served as the posttrial CNN soundtrack.

But it's not just historical aptness that makes Family Groove a more compelling disc than the Nevilles' last outing, Brother's Keeper (1990); this one, like Yellow Moon (1989), has a consistent production scheme, though unlike Moon's cathedral-by-the-swamp ambience, it's an unmysterious pop-funk kind of thing, with the arrangements built from the rhythm up – on the dominant bottom, the bass booms and the drums sock; in the middle, guitar, keyboards and backing vocals keep the textures shifting; on top, it's usually Art's worldly-wise tenor or Aaron's unique and romantic falsetto. Once the formula's been established on the album's leadoff, a nicely juiced version of Steve Miller's AOR war horse "Fly Like an Eagle," the change-ups are few and far between.

Longtime Nevilles fans may be put off – a good portion of the group's musical identity is submerged in this retro-funk sound – and there are a few drippy spots (Aaron needs space in the mix, not layered-on sweetness – it's that simple). But generally, Family Groove is an unabashed attempt to consolidate commercial gains made by the Nevilles during the past few years by hitting the rhythm hard and getting across old home truths that need to be heard. (RS 634/635)

RICHARD C. WALLS