David Jordan - Set The Mood (2007)

22-year-old Londoner David Jordan, a former Starbucks employee, is the latest singer to be touted as the saviour of British soul. His good looks and savvy dress sense immediately place him in the style-over-substance category, but Set the Mood shows he's got some talent to back it all up. Produced and recorded by Trevor Horn (Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Pet Shop Boys) Set the Mood sees Jordan mix up a few different styles--r & b, rock, electronic, soul--and come off like a cross between Terence Trent D'Arby and Prince. Kick off track "On the Money," a huge, guitar-drenched track, is more showy than it needs to be, but Jordan soon finds his métier on tunes such as single "Place in My Heart", "Glorious Day" and the title track. These songs are more catchy and Prince-like (especially when Jordan pulls out his impressive falsetto), although they all pale in comparison with "Sun Goes Down," which pulls off the quite admirable feat by merging Olde English folk music with a modern soul sensibility. It sounds awful on paper but it's the most infectious jig this side of the 16th century. Unfortunately ballads like "Sweet Prince" and "Only Living Soul" are much more clichéd, while others such as "Move On" aren't anywhere as innovative as they could--and should--be. Though David Jordan is undeniably talented, Set the Mood suggests he has a while to go before he reaches his creative peak.