Long Island's Soul for Real is in the tradition of bubblegum soul groups from the Jackson 5 through New Edition to Immature. The title track of Soul for Real's debut release, Candy Rain, broke through as a top-five pop hit and is symptomatic of an album full of bouncy, catchy melodies buoyed by sweet, skillful singing. Like the Jacksons, the four members of Soul for Real are actual brothers who also hand over the lead vocals to the youngest brother, in this case 14-year-old Jason Dalrymple. The Dalrymple brothers get an invaluable assist from producer-songwriter Heavy D, one of the most underrated talents of the hip-hop scene. Heavy D, who has a hand in every track on Candy Rain, fashions songs that are more innocent than his usual seduction fare but no less romantic or sumptuous. The puppy-love sentiments of "Every Little Thing I Do" and "I Wanna Be Your Friend" are delivered with such heartfelt sincerity and melodic ingenuity that anyone who remembers his or her first crush (no matter how long ago) should empathize. And Soul for Real display their gift for sophisticated harmonies with their Take 6-like a cappella version of Bill Withers's "Ain't No Sunshine." --Geoffrey Himes