Review: “Set The Mood” by David Jordan (CD, 2007)

Today’s Pop Rescue from a fate uncertain, is the 2007 debut album Set The Mood by British singer-songwriter, David Jordan. Will this album find a Place In your Heart, or will you want it to Move On swiftly? Read on…

David Jordan - Set The Mood (2007) album. — David Jordan – Set The Mood (2007) album.

This 11 track Trevor Horn produced CD album opens with On The Money, which bursts open with dramatic rock drums and gurgling synths. David drops in on the microphone with some very low register vocals that build up as the song evolves. He sounds fantastic in the chorus, where he gets to show off his range and power as this brooding opener grows.

Next is lead single Place In My Heart, and this gives us quite a vocal contrast, where David takes a wide range vocal, but gives us some wonderfully high and playful vocals that shadow the catchy piano/synth riff, and remind me heavily here of Prince. David really gets to shine in the mid-section where he soars through his vocals with seemingly great ease. It’s a really great track but sadly it failed to chart in the UK.

Sun Goes Down follows that, and this was the album’s second single. It has an element of an old sea shanty – which makes it both addictively catchy with its thumping beat and vocals that flow easily amongst it, but also makes it a little cheesy too. However, David puts in a great vocal performance on this catchy track and it gave him his first single to chart in the UK, giving him a #4 hit.

Then it’s the titular track Set The Mood, and aptly, the sound here is jazzy, with a double bass, soft vocal harmonies and a much slower sound. It’s a really nice gentle track that you could almost imagine George Michael having a version in the vault. This slower sound really seems to allow David’s heartfelt vocals to shine beautifully.

Drifting in in a wave of dreamy sounds is Love Song, but this soon switches to thick synths and a descending bass. David hops on the microphone and throws his vocals around in rapid fire to a R&B beat. He sounds a lot like he’s channeling boy group Blue with an occasional vocal dash of Michael Jackson.

Electric guitars usher in the album’s third and final single Move On with a nice little riff. They step aside for a bit, to give us some kind of Liberty X styled heavy beat meets tender vocals sound. Unfortunately the listeners did ‘move on’ and the track failed to repeat the success of Sun Goes Down – stalling at #68 in the UK singles chart.

A string section and nice gently strummed acoustic guitar leads us into next song Sweet Prince. Here we get to hear some more soft and breathy vocals from David, and he sounds great here in this warm and loving track. It becomes a dreamy tender lullaby, and a really nice track.

A wolf-whistle leads us into this moody little track – If I’m In Love. The track gives us a nice sultry set of lyrics and vocals from David, and he’s flanked by some wonderful harmonies and backing vocals too, as a thick bass line and hand claps draw us in. The track also takes a sudden latino sound in the build up for the final third of the song, and from here he shows off some big vocals that echo Lenny Kravitz in sound and power. This really should have been a single.

Glorious Day is next, and this gives us some nice vocal harmonies and percussion as David throws his vocals around expertly. We’re also treated to some fleeting orchestral moments too – particularly in that final push before the final chorus, and this sound helps to give the song many more opportunities for David to show off his vocal range and power as he soars amongst the strings towards the end of the track. Great stuff!

That leads on to Only Living Soul, which is a mid-tempo track in which we find David channeling Michael Jackson, Lenny Kravitz, and perhaps even Madonna’s Live To Tell. The song has tons of beautifully orchestral moments, and David is lifted even further with their backing. He really shines here.

The album closes with Fight The World, which throws us into a wonderfully delicious bass and electric guitar song. It’s dark, rocky, and somewhat sinister too. David’s lower vocals here work well, and that allows him to throw some higher rock vocals that expertly duel the electric guitars as they growl alongside him.

Verdict

Over all, this album is a wonderful balance of musical sounds, and rich vocals from David, and expertly delivered by legendary producer Trevor Horn.

Highlights here are Set The Mood, If I’m In Love, Only Living Soul, and Glorious Day, but they’re not alone with many other tracks being very slick and excellently performed too. David’s vocals really shine throughout even when some of the tracks are more heartfelt than quite as catchy as you’d hoped they’d be, but this by no means criticism as his vocal really sounds fantastic.

At the weaker moments, you find Move On, Love Song, and Place In My Heart, that whilst they won’t cause you to skip them, there’s enough other songs around them to make their weaker feel seem irrelevant.

We came at this album completely cold – unaware of David Jordan’s sound. We were delighted with what we found and The Mood he set.