Ian Simmonds is an honest bloke. He was glaringly honest about his love of Camden Town when he was the bassist for London eco-funksters the Sandals. The video for the Sandals' almost- a- near- miss single, "Feet," had Simmonds and his hempy fellows positively rolling around on the filthy pavements of London's boho center. Now, years after the disintegration of that band, Simmonds has found something else to be honest about.

Simmonds clearly adores the proto- junglerama track, "Bug in the Bassbin" by Carl Craig's Innerzone Orchestra. That track is the common ancestor of all nu-jazz and jungle hybrids. Craig snipped the first 1.5 seconds from McCoy Tyner's "Passion Dance" (from the thumpin' The Real McCoy album) and made the future. Simmonds likes that future a lot. So much so that he's preserved it. Craig's future, Simmonds's stale present.

Among the nine retreads of "Bug in the Bassbin" on this album, "Ice Waltz" introduces-– novelty of novelties-– a tinkling piano figure that gets endearingly nudged and nuzzled by an insistent bass line before Simmonds drops in a vocal line whispering, "You have arrived." But, we ask, where have we arrived? No time for answers, "The Man With No Thumbs" gatecrashes with a very familiar off- kilter "Bug"- like drum loop and some lulling keyboards. Perfect, if you're in the mood for a hypnogogic slumbermatic experience.

"The Millenium Question" isn't half as pretentious as its title. In fact, its a Bar Italia- ready jazzy, breezy, chin- stroking accompaniment to tiramisu and Lavazza. A touch of hi-hat sophistication and a doublebass make room for "The Leopard," who'll carry you off to disco in his frownsome jungle "pad." Though "The Leopard" has all the right funky elements to get peeps movin' under a disco ball, the track, like the others here, takes itself way too seriously. Simmonds is even shouting something that, despite its incoherentness, sounds pretty serious.

Last States of Nature is an acceptable stop gap until Carl Craig releases Programmed, his long- awaited Innerzone album. I concede that this record would have been a ghastly mess if Simmonds weren't capable of recognizing the difference between homage and wholesale ripping off.

However, despite its sophistication, Last States of Nature is only two- dimensional. Simmonds tries too hard to set the mood. In fact, he's a mood imposer. At least Jamiroquai are comfortable demonstrating that they are shameless, rich, jazz- funk berks. No matter how many rhythms in 12/8 time or diminished chords he shapes for us, Simmonds'll never be able to buy even a Hot Wheels Lamborghini, if he carries on in this fashion. Honest.

-Paul Cooper