In the United Kingdom, R&B artist Craig David [ tickets ] ranks among the country's top 100 richest people in music younger than age 30. However, in the United States, music fans barely blinked an eye at his fabulous 2001 debut, "Born to Do It," as well as two subsequent releases.

That should change with "Trust Me," the 27-year-old British phenom's fourth collection since introducing the world to two-stepping. Recorded in Havana, Cuba, with producer Martin Terefe (James Morrison, KT Tunstall) and mixer/producer/writer Fraser T. Smith (Beyonce, Jamelia), "Trust Me" opens with three potential club hits. David unleashes a thumping new spin on David Bowie's "Let's Dance" with "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)," featuring his speedy vocals; meanwhile, equally manic horns lace "6 of 1 Thing," and "Friday Night" is a musically dynamic funk track.

Recording in Cuba proved to be inspirational, as shown on the Latin-fused "Don't Play With Our Love." The majority of the 11-song collection is chill, however. "Awkward" starts off with David, gratingly, repeating the word "awkward." But the meat of the song is found in the Motown-like harmonies during the chorus. "Officially Yours" could make its way onto wedding playlists, "She's on Fire" is sultry, and "Don't Play With Our Love" is a straight-up soul hit in the making.

Lyrically, David doesn't stray far from his style of singing about love, sex and partying. On "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)," he describes an ideal woman he sees at a nightclub: "(Let's dance) get on the floor no need to hold back/Sexy thong, mini-skirt, stilettos on, shakin' all that (let's dance)." David compares his lover to a "dope melody" on "Kinda Girl for Me."

The collection overall is strong. David may not have sold many albums in the United States, but his music is rich.