The Promise

1	All in the Way 4:28
2	Betcha' 3:42
3	Wiggle 0:38
4	Why? 4:03
5	Wonderland 4:04
6	Where Do We Go from Here? 5:21
7	Freedom 0:42
8	Hold Me 4:36
9	Never 5:08
10	Prelude 0:39
11	All About Love 4:24
12	Suppose You Like Me 4:37
13	The Promise 0:27
14	Love's Patience/She Waits 5:09
15	The Promise (Continued) 0:51
16	Let Me Love You 4:17
17	Dirty 3:46

Barnes & Noble

The Promise may be Earth, Wind & Fire's first album in six years, but this self-contained R&B outfit show they haven't lost a step since their '70s heyday. On this set of new material, plus the previously unreleased song "Dirty," founding members Maurice White and Philip Bailey are joined by percussionist Ralph Johnson and bassist Verdine White. The brassy single "All in the Way" reunites the boys with the Emotions, the female trio who appeared on the '79 hit "Boogie Wonderland" and the '81 smash "Let's Groove." Neo-soul songstress Angie Stone provides a contemporary edge as she unobtrusively slips in amid the easy groove and gorgeous harmonies of "Wonderland." Content to mine their magic at the crossroads of Quiet Storm and lite jazz, Earth, Wind & Fire weave the kind of gorgeous, starry-eyed magic that invariably leads to canoodling, whether it's the falsetto-laced make-out anthem "Hold Me" or the equally sensual "Suppose You Like Me," with its Stevie Wonder–like harmonica nuances. Long regarded for their innate sense of funk, White and company do not disappoint, especially on the high-flying airiness of "Never" and the aforementioned "Dirty," a funk workout that features the kind of jaunty horns and popping bass that would make George Clinton smile. With The Promise, Earth, Wind & Fire keep theirs and remain one of R&B's most visionary bands. Dave Gil de Rubio

Blender

The Promise, the group's first album in six years, maintains their trademark buoyancy on a classy collection of mid-tempo numbers (the Bailey showcase "Betcha"; the frisky single "All in the Way") and sweeping ballads ("Why?"; "Wonderland," which features neosoul favorite Angie Stone) remiscent of their heyday. Chairman Mao