Haitian saxophonist Omicil has served notice of a substantial talent on previous releases such as Roots and Let’s Bash without quite making the artistic statement he suggests he is capable of. Those albums have been ultimately patchy, as if he is still in the process of defining his direction. This latest offering is a more coherent affair, though it also suffers from an eclecticism that gets waylaid by inconsistent ideas that lead to a series of peaks and troughs, quality wise. On the upside, there are some very enjoyable forays into jumpy 1980s grooves with a vague We Want Miles flavour. However, things crash badly on ‘Mozart Bash’, which is woeful classical-goes-dance, and the focus blurs on the subsequent tracks. Redemption comes in the shape of sparky African-Caribbean rhythms and a gorgeously haunting mid-tempo ballad in which he plays tasteful clarinet against a resonant two bass backdrop. All of which makes Love Matters an album that is compromised by stylistic choices, yet overwhelmingly salvaged by the leader’s ability. This work would greatly improve with some editing and new track sequencing. Whether or not Omicil will put his trust in a producer wise enough to make that kind of call in the future remains to be seen.