Slicker Than Your Average

1	Slicker Than Your Average
2	What's Your Flava?
3	Fast Cars
4	Hidden Agenda
5	Eenie Meenie
6	You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til The Well Runs Dry)
7	Rise and Fall
8	Personal
9	Hands Up In The Air
10	2 Steps Back
11	What's Changed?
12	World Filled With Love

Barnes & Noble

British pop star Craig David won over a skeptical U.S. audience with his 2-step drum-'n'-bass-infused debut, Born to Do It. This time, he hits American urban-music fans where they live, making good on his titular boast thanks to a silken tenor and skillful production. The disc -- penned entirely by David -- is evenly split between hip-hop-tinged, dance floor-ready tracks produced by newcomers the Ignorants that showcase the former DJ and rapper's trademark rapid-fire singing style, and heartstring-tugging ballads produced by Born collaborator Mark Hill and vets Soulshock & Karlin that reveal why Elton John once hailed this young man the best singer in the U.K. Of the gritty club tracks, standouts include the playful title track, with its ticklish guitar loop, turntable scratches, and funky horn riffs; "Eenie Meenie," which starts with cinematic violins and later transforms itself into a dizzying drum-'n'-bass track; and the mid-tempo "Hands Up in the Air," where David calls out to all the hot girls and boys, à la Missy Elliott's "Hot Boyz," over percolating strings. For all of his dance culture sensibilities, however, David shines on slow jams such as the Boyz II Men–reminiscent "You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til the Well Runs Dry)," the seductive, Prince-ly ballad "Personal," and the Grammy-worthy collaboration with Sting on "Rise and Fall." On the latter track, which samples Sting's "Shape of My Heart," the elder Brit forewarns David: "Superstar you finally made it/ But once your picture becomes tainted/ That's what they call the rise and fall." Fortunately for David, with youth and talent on his side, this shooting star is still rising. Tracy E. Hopkins

All Music Guide

The former British teen sensation kicked off his singing career with the stellar Grammy-nominated Born to Do It, which blended 2-step, R&B, and pop. With his second release, Slicker Than Your Average, Craig David shows a different side. While Born to Do It was filled with romantic lyrics, Slicker Than Your Average shares David's feelings about fame, with a small dose of his trademark love songs. On the title track, David takes a stab at those who criticize his "squeaky clean" image and musical style: "Now they're telling me that I'm too R&B/How I turned my back on the whole UK garage scene/Now they're stressing me when/I know there's so much more to see." Broken hearts and playing the field are prominent topics as well. Musically, Slicker Than Your Average is a collage of styles -- dance ("What's Your Flava?," "Eenie Meenie," "Fast Cars") and 2-step ("2 Steps Back") as well as R&B/pop ballads ("World Filled With Love" and "Rise & Fall"). "Rise & Fall," a song featuring a guest vocal by Sting, is among the highlights on the album, as are "You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til the Well Runs Dry)," "What's Your Flava?," and the Beatlesque "World Filled With Love," which is filled with soaring harmonies. Slicker Than Your Average is stronger than the average sophomore effort, and it proves that Craig David's abilities are innate. ~ Christina Fuoco, All Music Guide

Rolling Stone

On Slicker Than Your Average, David is a pop singer who incorporates as much techno as Motown into his sound. Pat Blashill