|
|
 |
When
he dropped the garage/two-step styled “Can You Fill Me In”
Craig David and his Euro-Soul stilo swept the world into a
dust pan so thick with confusion and elation that they didn’t
know what hit them…and just like Kaiser Soze, he was gone.
Now, he’s back with the second installment of his bubbling
music career. The one-time P. Diddy-pursued Craig David, now
claims that he is Slicker Than Your Average.
Slicker opens with the title track and a little Brit
flavored-rhyming, which also laces his infectious lead single,
“What’s Your Flava?” David’s signature mellow vocals combined
with Rogeresque electrovocals make for an effective mix over
an up tempo dance-based track that is sure to have heads
noddin’ regardless of your musical preference. David
resurfaces a young man’s fourth period daydreamlike track,
“Fast Cars.” Of course to accompany fast cars, fast tailed
women get in the ride, but the video will have to pick up the
song’s course, because it is cute, but not as sexy as the
concept. It’s just not happening.
On the guitar string-driven “Hidden Agenda”, David gets back
to what made him so spectacular as a singer. The voice over
the beat and it helps to employ the vocal pattern of Jon B’s
“Don’t Talk” as the hook, line and sinker. With this one,
David encourages the apple of his eye to make a choice between
him (the winner) and her man (the beginner)…he’ll probably
make it happen. “Eenie Meenie” is another two-step rhythm
track that asks the question, “where have all of the good
girls gone?” The track on “Eenie...” utilizes a drum and bass-esqu
beat pattern and features Craig David and Messiah Bolical
spitting flows like Twista.
David continues to touch the young ladies with …Your Average
as he takes them to teary pillows on the slow “You Don’t
 |
| Got
the CD already? SPEAK ON IT! - Seaspot Forum:
click here |
Miss
Your Water (‘Til The Well Runs Dry).” A tale of lost love sang
over melodic piano keys, sounds like a rainy afternoon in a
white room of cotton curtains and silk sheets – with “soup and
a sammach.” A delightful surprise is offered by the sophomore
when Sting steps in to grace the inspirational, yet melancoly
“Rise & Fall”, which features David describing his career path
as a young artist, turned star. This track is especially
introspective as David discloses feelings of lonesomeness,
fans and himself. However, it gets deeper as he trades his
feelings for the listeners’ with the aptly titled “Personal”
which will certainly receive airplay on all of the late night
radio shows. It’s not risqué, but it is a whisper in your ear
and get intimate-type track. The slow tempo melody continues
on the conversational “Hands Up In The Air.” Surprisingly,
David pulls of the laid-back track with relative ease, but
only because he keeps focused on the ladies. One might expect
a rah rah anthem with such a song title, but David changes the
game with a nonchalant attitude and smooth transition.
The mellow “2 Steps Back” offers nothing new, but “Spanish”
makes Alicante and Madrid feel like the places to be. You can
practically smell the perfume on the morenas and rubias as
David serenades them with sexy words like “Ecstacy”,
“Senorita” and asks the laydeez to ‘come with me (conmigo)’.
When the DJ drops this one, las chicas will be making their
backs bend to neck snapping track, and more light underlying
vocals. “What’s Changed” is a catchy duet between the British
crooner and, lemme get this right – KATIE HOLMES!? If this is
the big screen star turned singer, they make for a sexy duo,
because Holmes’ vocals provide depth and the feminine presence
in this break up to make up track. On “World Filled With Love”
David closes his sophomore effort with a tribute to dreaming
about our dreams and actually making them come true – maybe
the prelude to this year’s coming of age film or TV show…
Overall, with Slicker Than Your Average David has done a good
job of singing and marketing to his audience who are mostly
young laydeez ages 15 to 34. Although this is not breaking
ground as far it being a must have record, like Jodeci’s The
Show, The Afterparty, The Hotel, the mission to please is
still accomplished. And although no one may notice, Craig
David is slowly changing the game by including two-step
rhythms and beats in his British-soul songs and RAPS. Is he
street? Naw, but his vibe is unique and his vocal styles fill
a void within the R&B and pop music game.
|
