Afro Celt Extends Its Ambitious Reach

*** AFRO CELT SOUND SYSTEM

“Volume 3: Further in Time”

Real World

The third album from these studiomeisters (in stores Tuesday) expands the group’s already omnivorous musical interests in two important areas. The first is the apparent desire to broaden its potential reach by coming up with some radio-friendly tracks. And what better way to achieve that than by including a hook-oriented pair of songs --”When You’re Falling” and “Life Begin Again”--performed, respectively, by Real World founder Peter Gabriel and Led Zeppelin icon Robert Plant?

The second goal, to expand the African component in Afro Celt’s triad of Celtic/African/studio elements, is considerably more intriguing, especially in the pieces “Shadow Man,” with a vocal by Demba Barry, and “Further in Time,” with N’Faly Kouyate’s vocal surging through a tide of insistent rhythm.

Fortunately, neither of these aspirations has diminished the power or the presence of Afro Celt’s seamless flow of grooves, sound loops, textures and vocals interspersed with the spontaneous energy of live performers. And it is on such pieces as the rhythmically irresistible “Colossus” and the surprisingly airy “Onwards”--rather than the hit-seeking efforts--that “Further in Time” takes its place in the slow but insistent musical growth of this talented ensemble.

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