Nate James may be tipped as one of the breakthrough stars of 2005 but I have to confess my ignorance of Britain's new soul sensation.

With his mass of Hendrix-esque hair, James certainly has an unmistakable look.

But as for "setting the tone", I feel as though it's all been done before.

From the opening Said I'd Show You, to his closing refrain on Shake Out, this is more than 45 minutes of boredom set to music.

There are one or two brighter moments that try to lift the CD above the humdrum but, sadly, these are few and far between.

James admits he is influenced by Stevie Wonder and this is apparent in The Message, probably the best track on the album.

The singer describes his music as "old school meets new school" and there are traces of the good ol' fashioned soul played to him by his American father.

While I'm sure Set The Tone will appeal to soul fans, I'm not convinced James will quite be claiming the star billing.

DL