Even before he landed a high profile gig with Pat Metheny, Ben Williams attracted attention through impressive work with the likes of Stefon Harris and Marcus Strickland, both of whom feature here. The assured performances of the leader and sidemen on Williams's sophomore album will come as no surprise and his integration of soul, funk, hip-hop and electronica is also tastefully done. However, the problem is that, for the most part, the material doesn't quite match the execution. After a solid start with the smartly handled backbeat of ‘Black Villain Music’, a piece whose broodiness recalls some of the work of guest trumpeter Christian Scott, the content starts to go awry around the halfway mark of the repertoire. There is a fine line between the understated and the undercooked and sadly the melodic substance slips on the wrong side of it, particularly on the lengthier pieces, ‘Toy Soldiers’ and ‘The Colour Of My Dreams’, neither of which justifies its eight minute duration. The net result is an album that, though not devoid of plus points, is lacking balance. Were the set to be edited and also re-sequenced, an art to which too little attention is paid in jazz, then the result could be so much better. All of which begs the question of how many highly skilled young improvising musicians could benefit from the presence of an experienced producer who can be the invaluable second pair of ears both in the rehearsal room and at the mixing desk? Williams has more than enough talent to suggest the guidance would serve him well. However the incumbents aren't so plentiful these days.