Craig David - Trust Me Review

This London-based crooner emerged in the early '00s as the face of Britain's 2-step scene, but on his fourth full-length Craig David doesn't sound tethered to any one sound in particular: In opener "Hot Stuff" he channels disco-era Michael Jackson over a sizable sample of David Bowie's "Let's Dance"; "Friday" has an old-school funk flavor; "Don't Play With Our Love" rides a tasty Latin-jazz groove, in a nod to Havana, where the album was recorded. Though Martin Terefe's production features loads of ear-tickling detail—check out the furious horn chart in "6 of 1 Thing"—David's strongest vocal performance comes in the CD's most stripped-down cut, "Just a Reminder." It's perfect for Robin Thicke fans worried that Thicke's upcoming disc won't include another "Lost Without U....full text 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....full text Lynchpin of the missed-by-nobody 'two step' era and unlucky butt of "Bo Selecta!"'s one good joke, there's a whiff of corny about Craig David that refuses to dissipate. This fourth album may not quite be the big blast of Febreze needed to change that for good, but it comes pretty close. Recorded in Havana, "Trust Me" mixes all the usual modern transatlantic R&B stylings with Latin beats, bursts of rock guitar and mild reggae spice in an even-handed spread of dancefloor numbers and lovelorn ballads....full text