Illumination in Bloomington, MN

Following 2003's
The Promise
,
Earth, Wind & Fire
went back to the studio and refined and updated their approach to music with a more contemporary
neo-soul
sound on
Illumination
, and the gamble paid off plentifully, as it's one of the group's freshest and most fully realized album since the glory years of the '70s, when the group was releasing one timeless single after another. What makes
work so well is their approach to staying contemporary without looking ridiculous in the process. The production from start to finish is polished and ready for prime time urban radio airplay, while still maintaining a sensibility of the old-school sound that made it work in the first place. Guest appearances are the norm, rather than the exception, with nonstop cameos from a wide range of artists, from
OutKast
and
the Black Eyed Peas
'
will.i.am
all the way to
soft rock
horn tooter
Kenny G.
But the crown jewel of the album is unquestionably the eight-minute jam
"Show Me the Way,"
with
Raphael Saadiq
handling lead vocals in a way that should make
Maurice White
blush with pride, confident in the knowledge his influence is very much alive and well in the next generation of
soul
musicians. The album's final pieces are puzzling, as
Brian McKnight
's eloquent appearance on the
ballad
"To You"
is roughly knocked out of place as the fitting closer by a
smooth jazz
cover of
's
"The Way You Move,"
an ill-fitting move for an otherwise outstanding record. Sequencing error aside,
is the musical defibrillator other aging
musicians should grab a hold of and take note. ~ Rob Theakston