Jai Uttal's intensive study of Indian music with legendary sarod player Ali Akbar Khan has led him down a sonic path filled with heavily Eastern-tinged tones, but THUNDER LOVE is another matter entirely. A true example of "world music," it's a pan-cultural potpourri of sounds and styles from around the globe, seamlessly sewn into a contemporary pop/rock format. Uttal's soulful singing and spiritual themes provide the crucial connective thread throughout the album.