It's All About the Stragglers


It's All About the Stragglers is the only studio album by the English garage duo Artful Dodger, released on 20 November 2000 by London Recordings. The album contains eight different vocalists, including Craig David.

Production

The album was recorded on a small budget in the empty production studios of the Ocean Radio Group near Fareham, Hampshire, then owned by Capital Radio. One of those stations in the group was Power FM where the band also hosted a weekend dance show and headlined the 2000 day festival Power in the Park.

Critical reception

The A.V. Club wrote: "Artful Dodger has always represented the lighter side of two-step, but without other artists' tracks to counter its airy levity, It's All About The Stragglers is a middling effort that makes for a less-than-thrilling introduction to an otherwise thrilling genre." Exclaim! thought that "Craig David effortlessly commands the pulsing groove of 'Whatcha Gonna Do'." Billboard called It's All About the Stragglers an "R&B-conscious, club-rooted, classically arranged album". The Chicago Tribune opined that "chances are that teens will be befuddled by the studio geekery and dance experts will scoff at its conscious fluffiness, but tunes like 'Think About Me' are an apt reminder that not all contemporary pop has to be a guilty pleasure to be fun."

Track listing

UK CD version
Bonus track
'''US version'''

Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes.