Born To Do It, the debut album from Craig David is an eclectic mix of pop, R&B, hip-hop, and British dance floor music. David had a break out hit in Britain with Born To Do It and once the United States got a hold of him, he exploded.
David’s mix of many genres gives his music many levels — however they are levels that repeat themselves throughout the album. The repetition of many of the beats begins to take a toll on the listener’s ear by the third track.
Lyrically, David has the ability to write a good song and he has done just that on Born To Do It with the opening track, “Fill Me In,” but his lyrics begin to become repetitive after one or two songs. It’s as if he is telling the same story over and over again with different characters, but the same meaning.
“Fill Me In” is the best track on the album — expressing everything David tries in vain to express throughout the rest of his work, but it succeeds in its infectious sound. David is a talented singer — with some resemblance to the sound of Boyz 2 Men.
He has the ability to express his feelings through his songs, but he doesn’t have the ability to break away from the mainstream and create his own sound. It’s as if he is sampling his own work throughout the album — using the beats from the first track and pressing repeat.
David’s mix of many musical genres is prominent throughout the album, but his ability to add hip hop to the mix is a failed effort. By the eighth track, one has heard enough Craig David to understand that he isn’t an original voice in the R&B circuit. He is the same as any other R&B singer who has fulfilled the potential of being a one-hit wonder. David exhausts all of his originality in the album on “Fill Me In.”
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He mixes hip-hop, R&B, British dance floor, and pop within it and leaves the rest of the album to fend for itself.
It’s as if he has given up on himself to be an original, new artist. He falls back into the mainstream and becomes painstakingly predictable for the remainder of the album.
As a young artist turning 20 in 2001, David has the potential to grow and understand himself musically.
He has done his job thus far by entering the music world with “Fill Me In,” but nothing more will come from him unless he pushes the limit of his talent.
He has made a larger impact in Britain with two hit singles, but Americans might prove to be a tougher crowd.
If you have the time, take a listen to Craig David’s new album Born To Do It, but don’t get your hopes up for an original new artist.
