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 before Born 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