The double album Keys to the City Vol. 1 & 2 is ambitious in theory. The pop jazz collective New York Electric Piano divvied its styles into two sides, the first disc featuring all vocal numbers mostly dealing with the modern world’s urban woes–in other words, New York–while the second disc showcases the technical abilities of the group with instrumentals. For the first half, the overall sound is just as assured as the wishy-washy lyrics. The first song finds the narrator beckoning to be held so that he can make it through another day while the second song admits “I would have failed the test without you”. The wimpy, lobotomized soul of “Temple Dog” and “Scrapple for the Apple” are, however, offset by the second disc’s fiercer attack and confident execution. None of the compositions may prove any more memorable, but the sharper playing at least resembles some sort of edge.