Khan’s Voice Illuminates ‘Night Song’ : *** NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN/MICHAEL BROOK, “Night Song”, Real World

Khan is a hot performer in the pop world these days, especially visible as a result of his collaboration with Eddie Vedder on the soundtrack of “Dead Man Walking.” “Night Song” is another pop-oriented association, his first with Canadian producer-guitarist Brook since their 1990 world-music breakthrough album “Mustt.”

The Pakistani singer is a master of the qawwali style, a soaring, melodically intricate form of vocal improvisation identified for seven centuries with Sufism. In Khan’s hands, qawwali’s expression is a colorful tapestry blending an unlikely mixture of trance-like spirituality and visceral energy.

Little of the pure directness of that fervor is present in this otherwise extremely listenable album. Brook’s groove-based rhythm tracks are a bit too dominant, and his co-writing of songs with Khan results in pleasant but relatively superficial melodies.

Despite the occasionally contrived-sounding settings, however, Khan’s voice--as warm and intimate as it is fiery and passionate, regardless of his surroundings--is always a joy to hear. And on “Night Song,” the sole piece in which he sings with only a drone accompaniment, the subtle, multilayered emotions of his improvisations finally have an opportunity to break through the pop rhythm clatter.