*** THE NEVILLE BROTHERS “Brother’s Keeper” <i> A&M;</i> : <i> Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to five (a classic). : </i>

Undoubtedly, some among the millions who just discovered Aaron Neville, the linebacker-size songbird, as a featured duet partner on the recent Linda Ronstadt album will buy this fine new Neville Brothers effort. If they expect anything close to those cozy Aaron ‘n’ Linda love songs, though, they’re in for a surprise. Here Aaron shares the vocal spotlight, the syncopation rarely lets up and the brothers stick black consciousness and Jesus right in your face.

Fully half the songs on “Brother’s Keeper” are potent gospel tunes (including “Jah Love,” co-written by Cyril Neville and U2’s Bono). More confrontational is the two-part “Sons and Daughters,” Art Neville’s angry, Gil Scott-Heronesque look at inner-city despair and Establishment patronizing.

What’s missed is the weird spatial relationships producer Daniel Lanois brought to their last album. His cohort Malcolm Burn co-produced with the Nevilles this time, and “Keeper” is stuck somewhere between the novel undercurrents of the last record and the percussive joy of previous efforts. Nothing here is irresistibly danceable, but with all the other merits afoot, the brothers have produced yet another keeper.