*1/2 Sankai

COMMON GROUND

(Sankai Music)

Sankai's second release is a five-song EP that shows the band experimenting with some new grooves. Two years ago the Boston outfit delivered an impressive album of soukous material. Although their sound remains grounded in Afro-pop, they've begun to incorporate elements of reggae, mbaqanga, and even blues rock. "Nzila" blends a Congolese rumba with the South African township style popularized in the US by Paul Simon; two Jimi Hendrix tunes -- "Little Wing" and "Hey Joe" -- are reinterpreted as reggae numbers. The covers come off as curious genre-bending experiments, evidence that this band have yet to reach their musical destination. But they also reflect one of Sankai's strengths: their non-formulaic approach to African-based music.

-- Alan Waters