Set the Tone (Nate James album)

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Set the Tone
Studio album by
Nate James
Released8 August 2005
Genre
LabelUniversal
Producer
Singles from Set the Tone
  1. "Set the Tone"
    Released: 2005
  2. "Universal"
    Released: 2005
  3. "The Message" / "Get This Right"
    Released: 2005
  4. "Pretend"
    Released: 2006
  5. "Justify Me"
    Released: 2006

Set the Tone is the debut studio album by American-British soul singer Nate James, released on 8 August 2005, by Universal Music Group.

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Independent[1]

Reception to the album was largely mixed. Andy Gill of The Independent rated the album three stars out of five, appreciating its modern R&B style that echoes 1970s funk. He notes that the album's sound is reminiscent of Stevie Wonder's work, although it lacks meaningful messages, focusing instead on typical themes of dancing and romantic skirmishes. Though he found the album "slick" and "engaging", he felt that it failed to present "big ideas that move hearts and minds."[1]

Tony Heywood of MusicOMH felt that the album fell short of delivering authentic soul music, arguing that James's rural background disconnects him from the urban experiences and political issues essential to the genre. He described the album as "watered down Jamiroquai, third-hand Stevie Wonder, completely anonymous flat pack soul", and felt that it lacks wit, boldness, and passion. Heywood described the album as "crushingly dull" and compared it unfavorably to other British artists such as Justin Timberlake, Craig David, Roots Manuva, and Dizzee Rascal.[2]

Track listing[edit]

Set the Tone – Standard version
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Said I'd Show You"
  • Andreas S. Jensen
  • Nate James
Peter-John Vettese4:34
2."The Message"
Vettese3:22
3."Get This Right"
  • James, Peter Martin
Vettese3:56
4."Pretend"
Jaz Rogers4:24
5."Universal"
White3:38
6."Set the Tone"
  • David Brant
  • Dawn Joseph
  • James
Brant3:31
7."Funky Love" (featuring Carmen Reece)
  • Alan Glass
  • Brant
  • James
Brant4:05
8."Justify Me"
Vettese3:41
9."I Don't Wanna Fight"
  • Brant
  • James
Brant3:49
10."I'll Decline" (featuring Dawn Robinson)
  • James
  • Brant
  • Dawn Joseph
  • Robinson
Vettese3:40
11."Impossible"
  • Brant
  • James
  • Ron St. Louis
Brant3:27
12."Can't Stop"
  • Emmanuel
  • Jamesh
Brant3:49
13."Shake Out"
  • James
  • Vettese
Vettese5:39
14."Still On My Own" (Sway featuring Nate James)SwayShux3:50

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Set the Tone
Chart (2005) Peak
position
French Albums (SNEP)[3] 68
Italian Albums (FIMI)[4] 43
UK Albums (OCC)[5] 96
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[6] 33
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[7] 39

Release history[edit]

List of release dates, showing region, formats, editions, and label
Region Date Format(s) Edition(s) Label
United Kingdom 8 August 2005
  • CD
  • digital download
 Standard edition Island Records
Japan 13 February 2006
United Kingdom 12 June 2006 Reissue

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Gill, Andy (5 August 2005). "Album: Nate James". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  2. ^ Heywood, Tony (8 August 2005). "Nate James – Set The Tone". MusicOMH. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Lescharts.com – Nate James – Set the Tone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Nate James – Set the Tone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Nate James | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
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