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'Fill
Me In'
This tune was Craig's claim to fame. The tune that introduced America
and soon, the rest of the world to the urban sounds of Craig David.
What set this tune and ultimately Craig apart from the Timbalands
and The Neptunes of America was its ability to fuse modern R'n'B
sounds with techno without being too flashy at production. It isn't
as if Craig threw everything at the sound wall and let it all stick.
It's less flashy and at the same time distinct, drawing inspiration
from acts like Madness and British club sounds. And let's face it,
Britain's character is far more daring than American electronic
wizardy.
Plus there is the vocal part that falls somewhere between R'n'B
with just a slight tinge of rap coming in as Craig asks his girl,
"Saying why were you creeping round late last night/Why did
I see two shadows moving in your bedroom light/Now you're dressed
in black/When I left you were dressed in white/Can you fill me in?"
- it makes for an interesting number. And coupled with catchy hooks
like "Fill Me In" on repeat makes it addictive. The heavy
mantle of Britain's answer to American Urban music fell on Craig's
shoulders right after this tune and he pulled it off fabulously
well.
'Seven
Days'
If 'Fill Me In' is about a cheating girlfriend, 'Seven Days' is
about a week with a girl, no strings attached.
"As I walked through the subway/it must have been about quarter
past three/In front of me/stood a beautiful honey with a beautiful
body/She asked me for the time/I said it'd cost her her name/a six
digit number & a date with me tomorrow at nine."
But what makes this song interesting is that it unravels literally
like a story and Craig is one hell of a storyteller.
And the music matches the mood perfectly. Thumping, recurring beat,
a constant riff that stays on throughout and Craig's creamy voice
that plays with rhythmic blues and edgy Urban sounds, keyboards
magic together makes 'Seven Days' an even catchier tune. Off his
debut album, Born To Do It, 'Seven Days' went onto pick up a Grammy
nomination and we're really not surprised why.
'Walking
Away'
Opening with chimes and perhaps one of those rare Craig David tunes
that tips towards pop-dance and less R'n'B, this was the song where
Craig changed lanes as a songwriter. Melancholic to the core, simple
with a percussion running throughout and layered strings, it's the
most heartbreaking tune from Craig David yet.
All the flirtatiousness and the naughtiness of Craig disappears
and here one finds a man who is giving up, running from all the
messed up events life has to offer.
"Sometimes some people get me wrong/Sometimes you feel there
is no fun/that's why you turn and run/but now I truly realise /Some
people don't wanna compromise/Well I saw them with my own eyes spreading
those lies/And well I don't wanna live my life/ Too many sleepless
nights/Not mentioning the fights i'm sorry to say lady/I'm walking
away from the troubles in my life/I'm walking away oh to find a
better day", it's one of the best Craig tunes to date. And
the man has four albums to his credit.
'Rise
and Fall'
Craig David featuring Sting
Off his second album, Slicker Than Your Average, here Craig tackles
superstardom and the deceptive and fickle nature of it. "My
life was never gonna be the same/Cause with the money came a different
status/That's when things change/Now I'm too concerned with all
the things I own/Blinded by all the pretty girls I see/I'm beginning
to lose my integrity..." it is here when Craig shows off his
real emotions as a singer-songwriter and it is this depth and truth
that makes 'Rise and Fall' such a sheer force of music.
Music is often at its best when the words are coming from a real
place with experiences and here those reflect. Coupled with Sting
on the chorus that goes, "Sometimes in life you feel the fight
is over/And it seems as though the writings on the wall/Superstar
you finally made it/But once your picture becomes tainted/It's what
they call/The rise and fall" - it makes for an incredible song.
Even the music is somber, less meatier and more haunting, giving
the entire tune a wholesome feel.
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