Hot Stuff?

Bo Selecta has ruined any chance of Craaaaiiigggg Daaavid ever being pronounced in any other way but the 90s hit-maker who rode on the garage bandwagon is back again. Six years since the release of the brilliant Rise and Fall with Sting which put Craig’s Re-e-wind days well and truly behind him he’s back with less fast talking, less warbling and a very buff bod. However his cunning muscular ploy to distract us from a mediocre album hasn’t worked. Ok maybe it worked a little bit but we’re still not crazy about the album.

Hot Stuff, the first single off of the album, which samples David Bowies Let’s Dance is a good lively pop record followed by two completely forgettable British RnB/Pop tunes.
But song four, Awkward, by far the classiest song on the album lifts the tone right up. A smooth number which features a gorgeous bluesy melody and vocals by Rita Ora whose voice perfectly complements Craig’s voice (which is beautiful in this song). The following Just a Reminder is another well written nineties-esque bluesy ballad which demonstrates a more mature and more American sound from the warbler. Mid-tempo ballad Officially Yours is less bluesy, more British RnB/Pop sounding but in a successful Lemar kind of way rather than a less successful Shayne Ward kind of way. Accomplished lyrics and production make this a great song which is more classic Craig David than the previous two and could be his best chance for a chart topper on the album.

If the album had stopped here we probably would have thrown in another star or two but it all goes downhill from here. Kind of Girl For Me which samples “You are everything,” is boring with no real hook or a recognisable chorus. The redemption for this song is that Craig resists the urge to rhyme the word 'go' with 'before.' She’s on Fire is immediately forgettable with a very subtle reggae vibe which could have been more prominent to lift the song out of mediocrity. Don’t Play With Our Love is all over the place with verses, bridge and chorus not really meshing.