Craig David’s opening volley of singles – ‘Re-Wind’, ‘Fill Me In’ and ‘Seven Days’ – were so devilishly entertaining and filled with youthful promise that following them was always going to be a tough task. Given his then-tender years, Craig can be forgiven for thinking that a drab Sting collaboration was the best way to build on this stellar debut, but now that he has reached the ripe old age of 24, he has no such excuses.
The Story Goes… sees him get partially back on track. Album opener and single ‘All The Way’ is a dashing, cocky slice of upbeat disco, which successfully recaptures the youthful abandon of his early work. Craig excels when he gets dirty: on ‘Thief In The Night’ and ‘Take ‘Em Off’ he embraces the slinky, loverman R&B perfected by artists like R Kelly and Ginuwine, with thrilling results. Elsewhere, ‘Hypnotic’ and ‘Just Chillin’’ are brash, sleazy party numbers: the sex-obsessed lyrics juxtaposed nicely with the sweet vocal delivery.
Indeed, David’s singing is a luxurious, honeyed delight throughout The Story Goes… A shame, then, that the album’s middle section is bogged down with lifeless, mid-tempo balladry. This more pensive material is occasionally pretty, particularly on tender heartbreak number ‘Don’t Love You No More (I’m Sorry)’, but one can’t help but yearn for rhythms that squirm and kick, as they do on the superior, more up-beat tracks.
Much of the material on The Story Goes… is inspired by the break-up of a romantic relationship, and David seems to be torn between earnest soul-searching and living his single life to the full. Let’s hope he settles permanently on the latter option – his exceptional talent is at its most apparent when he’s having fun.