Toddla T (Thomas Mackenzie Bell) has always maintained a refreshingly all-inclusive attitude toward mixing and producing, effortlessly blending dancehall reggae, grime, jungle, bassline house, garage, and any other number of styles into his DJ sets and recordings. Released in 2017, Foreign Light is his third proper full-length, arriving six years after the party-rocking Ninja Tune-issued Watch Me Dance, as well as a series of boisterous singles as part of Toddla T Sound, a collective featuring MCs DRS and Serocee and R&B singer Shola Ama. Also during this time period, Bell settled down somewhat; he had two children with his partner, BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac, and released music on a significantly less frequent basis than he did prior to 2012. Compared to his past work, Foreign Light seems a bit toned down. The songs are still vibrant, but they're more introspective than lively. Nearly all of the songs feature vocals by Andrea Martin, a veteran R&B singer and songwriter who penned '90s hits for Toni Braxton, Monica, En Vogue, and other stars. While she lends an air of classiness and professionalism to the proceedings, much of the energy of Toddla T's past work is missing, and the songs generally aren't very exciting. A few other guests attempt to liven things up a bit, and while Stefflon Don's fierce ragga-rap during "Beast" would sound positively electrifying on a more hyped-up track, it just sounds out of place on this midtempo, atmospheric one. The album's title cut has a significantly harder beat, woozy synths, and stern rapping from grime MC Coco, and is far more successful and effective. The melodica-based instrumental "Foundation" and "Always" are plunges into sweet, sunshine-soaked reggae, and while the good vibes are aplenty, some of the lyrics on "Always" are somewhat inane, and they shoot the song down a bit. "Tribute" is a brief flashback to the beginnings of the grime era, with deep, deadly sub-bass, but it's just a minute-long interlude, and feels like a wasted opportunity for a vicious banger. "Magnet" ends the short album with one of Martin's most passionate performances, dramatically expressing simultaneous joy and sadness, and Toddla's basic, bouncy beat serves it well. But the album as a whole seems unfocused, and while the producer deserves kudos for making his most mature work yet, Foreign Light contains too few high points to warrant a recommendation.