Soundscape UK - Life Force (1996)

Soundscape is a collaboration between keyboardist Mick Talbot (Lambrettas, Style Council) and producer/DJ Chris Bangs (Paul Weller). Intended to be an acid-jazz exploration, Soundscape never quite gets off the ground. Perhaps that shouldn't be surprising, given Talbot's jazz chops always leaned toward psuedo-sophisticated cocktail jazz. Bangs does his best to give the music some dance-club credibility, but he isn't quite adventerous enough to save Talbot from sinking into meandering lite jazz. And that means Life Force simply hovers between acid-jazz and smooth mainstream jazz, without knowing where to go. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine