Enemies

Not to be confused with an actual person named Frank Jordan, Frank Jordan is in reality a trio consisting of guitarist/vocalist Mike Visser, bassist Matt Ontjes, and drummer Devin Hurley. You might, however, confuse Frank Jordan with Jeff Buckley, whom Mike Visser sounds exactly like. Blessed with a similarly angelic tenor wail and arpeggiated guitar chops, it is almost as if the only record Visser has ever heard is Grace. This is not to denigrate Visser's apparent abundance of talent, but merely to point out the glaringly obvious fact that he hasn't yet found his own voice. The specter of Buckley towers over this album, shadowing every beautiful melody and frenetic drum roll with the sense that no matter how good it sounds — and it does often sound great — it simply isn't the real thing. If you loved Buckley, you will most likely chafe on a first listen to Enemies and relegate Frank Jordan to your discarded pile of "CDs to be sold," right next to the pile of Radiohead sound-alike bands. However, if you give Frank Jordan another listen you might just think to yourself that in a few years time, these guys could possibly do something a bit more original and profound. By then, you can think back to when you first heard Frank Jordan, when they themselves still hadn't gotten over hearing Jeff Buckley for the first time.