On "The Promise," Earth Wind & Fire's first album of new material in six years, the group tries to appeal to an audience that identifies them with their magical 1970s grooves, and the definitive soul music that has had lasting impression over time.


On "The Promise" there are no timeless classics to be heard. But with a little help from their friends, new and old, the group still scores big. The album's first single, "All in the Way," reunites them with The Emotions more than 20 years after they came together for the still-popular dance floor anthems "Boogie Wonderland" and "Let's Groove." But not to be undone, the new school also comes through with a contribution from Angie Stone on the chill-out groove "Wonderland."


Some of the band's signature sound is prevalent on "The Promise," particularly Phillip Bailey's distinctive falsetto, familiar from the slow dance classic "Reasons" and now nearly as good on "Where Do We Go From Here."


Founder Maurice White, who has been ailing with Parkinson's disease, returns for the album to perform and co-produce. His touch here is obvious because he leaves the band's reputation for funky dance symphonies to memory and brings in a contemporary style of R&B smoothness that listeners will appreciate.