Craig David Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
Opening the album Trust Me with the very identifiable intro to David Bowie's "Let's Dance" which was sampled throughout the song "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)," Craig David released his fourth album of the 21st century. After the '80s style pop of "Hot Stuff," the next two tracks were "6 of 1 Thing," a funk/soul highly infectious song, and "Friday Night," which reminds one of Kool & the Gang at their early-'80s funky peak. "Kinda Girl for Me" extensively but subtly used a sample of the song "You Are Everything." There was a variety of styles on Trust Me, none of which detracted from its overall sense of cohesion, "Awkward" was a soulful ballad, "Officially Yours" and "Top of the Hill" had the backing of an acoustic guitar, but "She's on Fire" relied heavily on an electric bassline. "This Is the Girl" was a hip-hop number, and "Don't Play with Our Love" (subtitled "Trust Me") was a Latin influenced salsa track which was more in keeping with the ambience of the album which was recorded in Havana, Cuba and produced by Martin Terefe. Trust Me charted at number 18 in its first week and began a rapid descent downwards, but might have performed better had it been released at a less competitive time of year. ~ Sharon Mawer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Story Goes... was the third album by British R&B singer Craig David, following his breakthrough number one in 2000, Born to Do It, and Slicker Than Your Average. Picking himself up and signing to Warner Bros. after the demise of his Wildstar/Telstar record label, David offered The Story Goes... as a very personal album filled with his own experiences over the past few years, including his own relationship breakdown in "Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry)," being mesmerized by a woman during his partying phase on the tracks "Hypnotic" and "Just Chillin'," and another doomed liaison on the song "One Last Dance." The song "Johnny" delved deeper into his past as he explored the subject of bullying, and the line "I didn't want to tell you anything in case it made things worse" would strike a chord with many a victim. The first two tracks, "All the Way" and "Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry)," both became Top Ten hit singles. David had a unique style of singing more words than should have been able to fit into each line, but it worked for him. "Separate Ways" was back to "Fill Me In" standards, and he also had a habit of answering his own lines through a voicebox, as on "Thief in the Night." He strayed into Enrique Iglesias territory on the song "Unbelievable," but without the smoldering Latin passion. Produced by long-term David collaborator Mark Hill, The Story Goes... appeared to fall between an urban R&B-flavored Usher-styled album and his earlier more hip-hop-influenced work with the Artful Dodger. It couldn't be both. ~ Sharon Mawer, All Music Guide
'Slicker Than Your Average'
Release Date 1/1/2002
Tracks 13
Label Atlantic
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The former British teen sensation kicked off his singing career with the stellar Grammy-nominated Born to Do It, which blended 2-step, R&B, and pop. With his second release, Slicker Than Your Average, Craig David shows a different side. While Born to Do It was filled with romantic lyrics, Slicker Than Your Average shares David's feelings about fame, with a small dose of his trademark love songs. On the title track, David takes a stab at those who criticize his "squeaky clean" image and musical style: "Now they're telling me that I'm too R&B/How I turned my back on the whole UK garage scene/Now they're stressing me when/I know there's so much more to see." Broken hearts and playing the field are prominent topics as well. Musically, Slicker Than Your Average is a collage of styles -- dance ("What's Your Flava?," "Eenie Meenie," "Fast Cars") and 2-step ("2 Steps Back") as well as R&B/pop ballads ("World Filled With Love" and "Rise & Fall"). "Rise & Fall," a song featuring a guest vocal by Sting, is among the highlights on the album, as are "You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til the Well Runs Dry)," "What's Your Flava?," and the Beatlesque "World Filled With Love," which is filled with soaring harmonies. Slicker Than Your Average is stronger than the average sophomore effort, and it proves that Craig David's abilities are innate. ~ Christina Fuoco, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In his 2000 debut album, Craig David merges smooth-soul crooning with a cascade of glistening keyboards, circling guitars, and sophisticated rhythms. Displaying a healthy marriage of current R&B vocal stylings and U.K. club/dance fused beats, David's music skillfully evades feeling robotic and cold, while still sounding pristine and immaculate. As an artist who is in his late teens, he conjures up a personal and revealing work that delves into both his mature sound and youthful attitude. Co-writing and co-producing with Mark Hill of the British garage act the Artful Dodger, David wraps his scorching-cool vocals around a mellow attack of keyboards and drums, while distinctly focusing on romance, relationships, and clubbing. Guitars simmer on "7 Days," a day by day account of an adventurous first week with a woman he magically encounters while in a subway. In "Can't Be Messing 'Round," the performer's razor sharp vocals heat-seek while a keyboard hammers before being covered by a high-sounding whirlpool of strings. With the dance anthem "Time to Party," drums sting and a whispering guitar is faintly heard while he optimistically sings "Friday, payday/Ready to do the things we love." The lyrics do sometimes sound underdeveloped due to David's age, and the music can occasionally lack distinctiveness, yet those two factors do not hinder the celebratory power of Born to Do It. The album features an effortless presentation of limber and carefully articulated vocal talents by the singer that seamlessly glide through the polished collage of songs. ~ Stephen Mercier, All Music Guide
