If the D'Angelo sub-text was clear on José James' engaging 2012 release No Beginning, No End, then this offering by Takuya Koroda, who played trumpet on said album, serves as a reminder that Roy Hargrove was more than a footnote in the bigger story of ‘neo-soul’ influences. Largely downtempo with terse, slightly clenched, funky riffs, minimal harmonic movement and the bulbous bass of hip-hop, the music also boasts some of the airy, wistful melodies that are evocative of both Hargrove's RH Factor project (and by extension D'Angelo's Voodoo). And it is all the better for it. For the most part the compositions are decent and the playing stands up well, the whole point being that Kuroda is really going for hooks rather than burning improvisation. Yet in the final analysis the result feels a touch underwhelming, possibly because the composing is more proficient than inspired, and, tasty as some of the grooves are, the one killer tune that has you scrambling for the repeat button isn't quite there. James, in the producer's chair, turns in a smartly measured vocal performance on a well-worked reprise of Roy Ayers' flower child soul anthem ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’. Chances are that a producer with finesse as well as funk could spin remix mileage from Kuroda, an artist with clear potential.