Street Signs

It's heartening to know a band like Ozomatli exists, even if its multicultural musical mash-ups don't always work. The L.A.-based nine-piece has been melding hip-hop and rock with Latin, Caribbean, and African grooves for the better part of a decade and, at their best moments, are capable of turning it all into a vibrant dance party. Street Signs adds palpable Arabian influences to the stew, particularly on the opener, "Believe," a Moroccan-tinged shuffle that employs sitar, samples, and strings to mesmerizing effect. "Who's to Blame" adds to the melting pot with Jurassic 5's deep-voiced Chali 2na spitting consciousness-raising rhymes over a winding Egyptian melody and the persistent clack of tablas. Ozo's sense of rhythm brings all their eclectic parts together: On the title track, MCs Jabu and Justin Poree trade flowing verses while the band connects the dots between breakbeat funk and a salsa groove. Sometimes, their we-are-the-world-isms veer too cornball to really make it on the dance floor, but it's hard to root against a group that genuinely believes it can save the planet with a song.