Just released a couple of weeks ago, the American debut of Britain's own hottie of a singer is of two minds. British pop star
"Born to Do It"
seduces America
Craig David (Wildstar/Atlantic)
Review by Gary C.W. Chun
gchun@starbulletin.comKicking it off is his breakout hit "Fill Me In," a scintillating pairing of smooth American R&B with the chittery, bass-bump U.K. dance club phenomenon known as garage or two-step. The album then slips into the Craig David Five-Step Plan to a Successful Seduction.
With songs that celebrate a sweet week with a cinnamon queen ("7 Days") and the simmering eroticism of the promise of "a night you won't forget" ("Follow Me"), you'll either be all aquiver with heated anticipation for your own special someone, or wondering when this close-to-cloying collection of come-ons will threaten to stop this album dead in its tracks thanks to all its sticky sweetness. This stuff is great in small dosages, but I started to feel like the diabetic of love!
Thankfully, David doesn't forget his deejay/dance club roots, and starting with the second part of "Fill Me In," things get a little jauntier for the remainder of the album, with more bounce to the ounce. That love thang slips back in with David playing Casanova to a pretty young thing on "Last Night," but it's made bearable when it's followed by "Walking Away," where he actually addresses troubles more serious than deciding which honey to pursue.
"Time to Party" and "Booty Man" are not as raucous as their titles imply, but instead hold fast to a nice swing 'n' sway groove. And the album ends with the 1999 song that made David a pop sensation back in Britain. A collaboration with the groundbreaking but now-defunct duo Artful Dodger, "Rewind" is a great dance tune with a couple of clever electrobeat breakdown sections.
David's also getting a bit of a buzz with an increase in local sales, which leads me to wonder if it's only a matter of time until "island rhythm" will also include a bit of the U.K. two-step.
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