Five star

I WANT this CD! I want the photos inside enlarged and I want Darius to move to Redditch.

What a fantastic debut album. It has passion, charisma and most tellingly - originality.

So what if Will and Gareth beat him in the Pop Idol stakes! His musical clout combined with his physical lustre mark him out as a true man amongst boys.

He kicks off with his former number one Colourblind, which was voted fourth favourite record of the year in a national poll this weekend and it's easy to see why. It's an emotive song with words that reveal the romance that is so effortlessly Darius' style.

The theme continues through all 12 tracks, all written by the delightful Darius. Despite a tendency to labour over some of his rhymes, his skills as a songwriter seem as well honed and impressive as those he displays as a performer.

After Colourblind, one of my favourite songs is Incredible which is the story of one man's struggle to reveal his true feelings to the woman he so obviously loves, yet can't tell. It's both touching and musically masterful and would make an excellent choice for this gorgeous man's third hit single.

SCC