Knapdale Vinyl & CDs

Review: In 1990, Level 42 co-founder Mike Lindup released his first album, Changes, a blend of smooth jazz, quiet storm, synth-pop and Latin influences sprinkled with nods to gospel and other Black American religious music. This belated sequel once again pushes Lindup's vocals and colourful synthesisers to the fore, but musically it's a refreshed palette of influences, with the UK jazz-funk legend leaning more into soulful house, fusion, boogie, broken beat, hip-hop-soul and what would once have been considered acid jazz. It's a very good set all told, with dancefloor-friendly workouts and eye-catching collaborations (see Ursula Rucker hook-up 'World Is Ready' and Omar spotlight 'I See You In My Soul') being joined by glossy downtempo numbers.