Slicker Than Your Average

British club DJ turned singer Craig David took the world by storm while still in his teens with his boastful debut, Born to Do It. It sold 7 million copies while he still bunked at his parents' home in Southampton, England. Two years later, David has slogged through the minefields of sudden stardom and lived to sing about it, which he does with stylist aplomb on Slicker Than Your Average.

David has sacrificed some of his milk-fed innocence but none of his braggadocio, as the title attests. His sound is harder, more anxious, and much more suitable for clubs than the soft, breezy nu-soul of his first outing. This time, he deals with darker matters, such as the press's relentless scrutiny ("Why are you watching me when you should just let me be Craig") and the dangerous pitfalls of fame ("I'm not the man I used to be").

He's not the man he used to be, for fame seems to have shaken the scales from his eyes. This one-time wide-eyed romantic no longer pines for his perfect love, instead casting a jaundiced eye at the women vying for his attention on "What's Your Flava." But his newfound complexity and makes for a much more interesting album than his debut.

It's a relief to watch David trade in his clean-cut pop styling for a more urban edge, rife with old-school R&B and hip-hop élan. --Jaan Uhelszki