Story Goes..., The - Craig David

...yet strangely intimate album. "The Story Goes" was recorded mainly with producer Mark Hill and features a broad selection of tunes; from the more soulful tones to back to basics r n b that saw him hit fame back in 2000.

The first track on the album "All the Way" was his first single release off the album back in the summer and proved to be a great summer tune. It's funky and sultry yet still reminiscent of his ...
...it despite the rather moving story the lyrics tell.

"One Last Dance" is certainly very Blue-ish or Westlife-ish, it's the classic love song that will have girls crying and even boys snivelling! "One last dance with you, even thought what we have is strong, both of us know that we've done wrong, we could loose everything." What makes this track truly melodic is the fact that the entire first verse is sung with practically ... more

Who's Craig David?

Is that what you're saying? Can't you remember him?

Well he has had over a year away from the music industry and in the fast paced world of showbiz that is a long time! His first album was released in 2000 and followed in 2002 by his second album; both of these were hugely successful in the charts. And now, three years since his last release, we see him back with a much more mature and yet strangely intimate album. "The Story Goes" was recorded mainly with producer Mark Hill and features a broad selection of tunes; from the more soulful tones to back to basics r n b that saw him hit fame back in 2000.

The first track on the album "All the Way" was his first single release off the album back in the summer and proved to be a great summer tune. It's funky and sultry yet still reminiscent of his r n b roots with a slight disco feel to it as well. The beat is undeniably addictive and will have you grooving away! It's a feel happy tune, about nights out and just having fun really! It's followed by a rather stark contrasting song which is set to be his second single, entitled "Don't Love You No More" which has a definite "black" feel to it with a strong beat which undertones the entire song. It's apparently based on the time when his long term girlfriend told him she "don't love you no more." We also get to see that Craig David can rap along with the best of them, there's certainly an Usher/50 Cent feel to this track.

"Hypnotic" is the third track on the album and reverts back to the mood of the first track of the album; the backing music is fantastic with an almost Moroccan feel to it. Again the main theme running throughout the track is that of a night out, having fun, feeling attractive, etc. A great tune to listen to when planning a night out! "Separate Ways" takes on a slightly mellower feel, with a smoother and slower beat and the lyrics are more soothing. A classic love song that can be determined by the title alone, it's got a slightly pessimistic feel to it but it isn't one that will have you crying!

The fifth track on the album is a real change; "Johnny" is not like Craig David's usual stuff, it's much more mellowing, slower and honest. It's been thought it refers back to his childhood where he was possibly bullied - it's raw and honest and a real eye opener as well. "Do You Believe in Love" is a fantastic track and possibly my favourite one on the album, his voice is just like icing on a cake in this - warm and soothing. It's the kind of soppy song I'd have expected from Blue or Westlife but strangely he manages to make it feel much more up-tempo and still retains an r n b feel to it despite the rather moving story the lyrics tell.

"One Last Dance" is certainly very Blue-ish or Westlife-ish, it's the classic love song that will have girls crying and even boys snivelling! "One last dance with you, even thought what we have is strong, both of us know that we've done wrong, we could loose everything." What makes this track truly melodic is the fact that the entire first verse is sung with practically no backing music and shows the true beauty and adaptability of his voice. "Unbelievable" sounds strangely like the previous track, again it has little backing music and lets his voice soar through, it's slightly faster but the overall tune is practically identical to "One Last Dance." Again it's a weepy love tune that hasn't really been in Craig's style until now, "Feel like you've always been, forever a part of me, and it's so unbelievable, to finally be alone, somewhere I never thought I'd be." Both of these tracks are very emotive and comforting, strangely relaxing at the same time as well.

"Just Chillin" echoes the feel of track two, with a certain Usher/50 Cent feel and returns Craig back to his r n b roots. It's upbeat and has a great underlying beat which will make it a huge hit in clubs - again the lyrics refer to a night out, feeling good, dancing, etc. It's a refreshing change to have something a little more upbeat after the past couple of songs, which were decidedly from the romantic genre. "Thief in the Night" again is a slightly slower tune, about cheating relationships but it retains the classic feel of Craig David - think of his first major hits "Fill Me In" and "Seven Days." His voice is fast, it almost feels like he doesn't have time to breathe and it just seems to flow right over the music. "Take Em Off" is very similar to the previous track; it's got a decidedly sexy feel to it and is slow, soft r n b. A great love song for those hot nights, "Girl them jeans that you're wearing, just take em off, and that shirt that you came in, just take it off." The next song "My Love Don't Stop" is another love song, slow and sultry with sexy undertones.

"Never Should Have Walked Away" is another emotive and strangely personal feeling song, again it's typical boy band material which shouldn't come as a shock by the time you get to the end of the album. It's quite raw once again and almost painful, purely because of the lyrics which when you listen to them you'll see are very sad, "It was the hospital on the phone…I'm afraid she lost the baby but she'll be okay, and I didn't even know." The final track on the album "Let Her Go" is a great one to finish on, usually by this point the tracks are starting to fail slightly but not on this one! It's typical Craig David, it's a lovely ballad which is dedicated to his mum and his late grandmother, "Cos now she's watching over you, it's true… just let her go, if you can take the pain, of a broken heart, just let her go."

It's available on Amazon for £8.99, HMV for £9.99 or Tesco for £8.97.

And there you have it, my thoughts on the 14 tracks that make up Craig David's new album. In my opinion it's a fantastic album, I don't think there's a single weak track at all. It's true his style has changed, he's not so mainstream r n b as he was in the past, if anything he's converting slightly to the style that's so typical of cheesy boy bands but he manages to retain his individuality and this comes across in the way he sings. There's a certain amount of Usher/R Kelly lyrics to his tunes, for example talk to sex and g-strings but overall he still manages to stay angelic! And yes Usher may have that cool factor but I really do think that Craig David has one of the best voices around on the r n b and soul scene at the moment.

So would I recommend this? Yes! If you're into your boy bands, your r n b or even your weepy love songs then this album is a must, I'll even send you some tracks to prove it!

Thanks for reading!
 

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