“There is something about his style, the way his vocals allow him to blend in with whatever genre he is working on and bringing with him wonderful musicians which means he is always at home wherever he is.”

- Kev Rowland

Here we have the seventh release in Troy’s 10/10/10 project of ten albums in ten different genres in ten years. This time credited to Tory Kingi & The Room Service, each album has a different credited band (although often the same musicians, this time it includes Treye Liu, Marika Hodgson, Guy Harrison, Greg Haver, Forrest Thorpe and Thabani Gapara) and has again been produced by his long-term collaborator and partner TeMatera Smith.

What we have here is mostly instrumental, with Troy concentrating on his guitar, providing some vocals here and there but this cannot really be classed as a vocal release. There is a soul feel, with the guitar taking the lead, with the bass often providing a complementary melody and the percussion driving us along on the groove.

It is bright and light, and there is plenty of space within for one to relax into and sit back and enjoy. It is very Seventies in places, looking back to the Sixties in others, always sat in the mainstream but never falling into the trap of being too commercial.

- Kev Rowland: House of Prog →

Kingi has become a national taonga. He has won numerous awards, nominations, mentorships, movie parts and the 2020 Mātairangi Mahi Toi Māori Artist Residency at Government House.

Now, Kingi is nearing the end of a monumental task - 10 albums, 10 genres, 10 years. Ask any creative worth their salt what they think about it and they just shake their head in disbelief. An undertaking this big would destroy most artists, but here we are. Album seven in the 10-10-10 series, Time Wasters: Soundtrack to Current Day Meanderings has been out for a week and Troy Kingi and The Room Service are in town to perform it live and showing no signs of slowing down.

- Dan Buchanan, rnz.co.nz

It is not often that we are handed a musing instrumental album that relies so heavily on guitars, and yet, create a space that does not have this as the focal point of the album. No intricacies, no flashy speed runs; instead, a pivoting participant that finds its place amongst a scene-setting collection creativity and sensation. He has delivered a collection of tracks that works well as a background to everyday Kiwi life, as well as an opportunity for engagement, analysis, and perhaps deep reflection, largely in part to just how much is going on in each piece and the variety of evocative emotions within. This is no easy feat, as many artists might rely on lyrics to achieve such a connection, but in Troy's case, he is clearly confident to let the albums production and spirit speak for itself.

- Tom Langdale Hunt, music.net.nz