David Jordan: 'Set The Mood'

As a product of uber-producer Trevor Horn, it's inevitable that any release from David Jordan will be slick, polished and pleasing to the ears. The comparisons to Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake are apt too - both in terms of his vocal style and onstage persona. But Jordan doesn't really break any new ground for pop music, merely acting as a condensed version of its history. New single 'Set The Mood' dims the lights, whips out the candles and invites listeners to get in the mood for romance.

A slower, slinkier track than his previous efforts, this is vanilla and unmemorable, sounding like at best like a Prince offcut, at worst like a Craig David one. "Playing my song on the piano, she leaves my side," he purrs while tinkling the ivories - if his performance was as painfully literal as this, who can blame her? We all expect single quality to deteriorate over the course of an album, but this bland ballad is particularly disappointing after Jordan's catchy, soulful earlier releases.