Fair or not, Athens, GA's Widespread Panic [ tickets ]--WSP to diehards--has always been clumped in with "jam bands" like O.A.R. and String Cheese Incident. But WSP isn't so much a jam band as it is a groove band. And on its latest, "Earth to America," the six-piece gets its groove on.

Is it any surprise that the best songs here feature lean, dark, driving rhythms, courtesy of bassist Dave Schools and drummer Todd Nance? Eleven-minute opener "Second Skin" lays down the gauntlet, with scruffy singer John Bell sounding downright frisky, and "Solid Rock" is a funky grinder that showcases the group's guitar and keyboard skills. Later, "You Should Be Glad," presents another thrill-ride riff with deep bass lines and a rhythm that'll have 'em dancing in the aisles at WSP's live shows.

Maybe "Earth to America" is among WSP's best-sounding albums because it is the first disc the band recorded outside of its home-base comfort zone of Athens. Traveling to the Bahamas, they worked with producer Terry Manning--whose engineering work with Led Zeppelin and ZZ Top established him as a behind-the-glass, hard-rock legend--gives "Earth to America" a fat, balanced, punchy sound. As a result, the album may offer long songs rather than just long ideas.

Not that every song on "Earth to America" is perfect. Far from it. In fact, tracks not driven by the rhythm section are wimpy in comparison. The funky "Goodpeople" needs a hook. Rocker "When the Clowns Come Home" features too much flashy guitar, even for WSP. "May Your Glass Be Filled," as close to Dylan's "Forever Young" as you can get without calling it a cover, is a drowsy downer.

Still, more than half of "Earth to America" is grand, breathtaking stuff. That those thirty minutes are comprised of just three or four songs is just more proof that Widespread Panic is not your average jam band.