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CRAIG DAVID Born To Do It (2000 11-track CD album including the hit singles Fill Me In 7 Days and Walking Away picture sleeve CDWILD32) Amazon.co.uk The scene was set beforeBorn to Do It’s release: Craig David, garage pin-up superstar and king of the two-step scene. Er, not quite. Apart from the two chart hits he’d enjoyed with the Artful Dodger and as a solo artist (“Rewind”, “Fill Me In” respectively), this is an R&B album aimed firmly at–and inspired by–America. The slang, the beats and the sentiments all echo Eric Benet, R Kelly and the rest. At times it’s almost comical: Craig’s trouble is that better artists have already been there and done that–and they’ve done it, well, better. When Craig does break from slavishly following American influences, he becomes the promising artist that those first two singles hinted at: “Walking Away”, with its electric guitar and slight folk feel, stands out a mile from the rest. There’s no doubt that the boy can sing, and at 18 years of age maybe it’s too much to ask of him to project a strong identity. The photography, the lyrics and the sideburns all hint at maturity that isn’t there yet. Three albums down the line we could be hearing a good Craig David album, rather than this mediocre debut.–Jake Barnes