Little is more simplistic, mundane and unoriginal in pop music than counting to five, and yet Craig David turns that unexceptional sequence of numbers into an irresistible chorus on "One More Time," one of numerous pulse-pounding, smoothly grooving upbeat dance tracks on his astounding new album, Following My Intuition. On that song, David's succinct, successful lyricism and impassioned vocals match seamlessly with producer White N3rd's textured instrumental, which features finger-snap snares on the bridge and cacophonous synths on the chorus.
Indeed, David — a 35-year-old British R&B star with a decade-and-a-half track record of topping the UK charts — proves to be as adept a listener as singer on his new LP, deftly selecting instantly memorable beats by the likes of Sigala and Wez Clarke (for the euphoric "Ain't Giving Up"), Hitimpulse (for the tantalizing grinding "Nothing Like This") and rising Canadian beat artisan Kaytranada (for the seductive "Got It Good," a tune that was also featured on the Canadian producer's recently released classic 99.9%).
This new LP isn't flawless — "All We Needed" is a plodding ballad, while "Couldn't Be Mine" has an unsettlingly sexist tinge to its opening verses, as David denies the possibility of leaving a former flame with child — but aside from a few scant missteps, Following My Intuition otherwise proves that David's instincts remain uniquely sharp and on-point.
(Insanity/Sony)Indeed, David — a 35-year-old British R&B star with a decade-and-a-half track record of topping the UK charts — proves to be as adept a listener as singer on his new LP, deftly selecting instantly memorable beats by the likes of Sigala and Wez Clarke (for the euphoric "Ain't Giving Up"), Hitimpulse (for the tantalizing grinding "Nothing Like This") and rising Canadian beat artisan Kaytranada (for the seductive "Got It Good," a tune that was also featured on the Canadian producer's recently released classic 99.9%).
This new LP isn't flawless — "All We Needed" is a plodding ballad, while "Couldn't Be Mine" has an unsettlingly sexist tinge to its opening verses, as David denies the possibility of leaving a former flame with child — but aside from a few scant missteps, Following My Intuition otherwise proves that David's instincts remain uniquely sharp and on-point.
