Released in 1998, "Enter The Dru" second album from the R&B quartet, Dru Hill (consisting of members Woody, Jazz, Nokio and Sisqo). It follows on from their successful self-entitled debut, and has them move on from lots of ballds, to a more balanced R&B record of the late nineties.
1. "Enter The Dru" (Intro)
2. "Real Freak"
Immediately displaying their shift to a more 'urban' stye of R&B for this album, they get things going with a tune which has them balance their singing with funky production. It has a lot of synth going on, and it is just what you expect for suhc a tune of the time. The theme of it is in tune with this direction of the music too.
**Four Stars**
3. "How Deep is Your Love"
Probably their most well-known single, this one has the group do a banger of a track, to essentially kill off all other competition in the R&B game for the lat 90s. It is a classic from them as they get Redman to work with them for a tune which has them bring all that they have in their vocals and personality.
**Five Stars**
4. "This Is What We Do"
After getting Redman on the last, one, Doc's team mate, Method Man takes his place for some
sick rhymes to round off what would have been a pretty average song by Dru Hill. It is a change for them as they get production whcihc doens't really fit their style, but this change is welcomed.
This is a very desperate one, in which you get a ver desperate one as you hear the annoyance of the descovery of a partner cheating on them, and how they wis to forgive them, but know that its not the right thing to do. The minimalistic production focuses you in on this thought-provoking theme, and brings you right into the thing.
**Four Stars**
6. "I'm Wondering"
As soon as I heard the productyion in this one, I knew that I was really goign to like this one, and you get a banger of a track on this intersting synth work. From here Sisqo basically does a solo piece, and sings of how h has been cheating, and has little remorse for these actions.
**Four Stars**
7. "You Are Everything"
Here is another incredibly powerful tune by the group. in whcihc they let it all out in a song where they admit to a lack of faithfulness in the past, but wish to make it up by admitting how helpless they woudl be without the support of that siginicant other in their life. I can't see how you can pick out a weakness in this.
**Five Stars**
8. "I'll Be The One"
For me, the lack of energy in this one prevented me from engaging with this one as much as I would with others on the album. It meant that I didn't see it as of as high a standard of the rest of the songs on the album. I saw it as another one in the style of "These Are The Times", were it is a Pop tune, rather than an R&B one.
This highly emotive track shows how well put-together the band is as the full potential of the group is presented as they go for a slow, soulful ballad, in which they sing of how the relationship they are in has faded, and in a thought-provoking manner, they express how they feel and what is required to ease their concerns on the issue.
**Five Stars**
11. "Angel" (Lude)
12. "Angel"
Woody is given a solo trakc for this one, making a change from Sisqo doing most of the work on the lead. In it, you get a banger of a ballad as he sings to a low tempo about his love for a particualr girl. It is a very nice one, and doesn't really have the standards slipping, desite the fact that the strongest voice, Sisqo isn't featured within it.
**Four Stars**
13. "What Do I Do With The Love"
Continuing what you got in the last track, this one has the group goign for a blaad, and just as always, they manage to win you over with grat range in their vocals and playing aoudn with ace unpredictably. You get a great harmonies through this, and it all amounts to a successful love song by Dru Hill.
**Four Stars**
14. "Beauty"
This one has sme of the best vocals in the wole of the album, it surpsies you ever time how they arrange the melodies, and forces you to enjoy their talent at making all of them work so well. You get a song which is a loop of lines, but it reflects the repetitiveness of the theme.
**Four Stars**
15. "These Are The Times"
One of the singles from the album, gets the group coming together on what is basically a Power Pop tune, but they do it in a way that overcomes this generic form and style of singing. As it is done in such a way, it is likely to be enjoyed by a vast number of listners, but it doens't have that much 'urban' appeal.
**Four Stars**
16. "The Love We Had"
This one is a cover of The Dell's song of the same name, on it they obviously bring the 1969 up to date with a little Hip Hop in the beats section, and with this, they come up with a great song for their needs. Sisqo really takes control with his input in the songs, and it forces you to enjoy the song as with passionately belts out the tune.
**Five Stars**
17. "What Are We Gonna Do"
To end things off, you get a soft one all based on prodcution which you would have heard a lot of in R&B of the early 90s. It sounds more like a track off their debut album, but this isn't a negative as they win you over with a great vocal performance. It is a soothing close to a great album.
**Four Stars**
For me, this is one of the best R&B albums that I've heard, and so there's little else I can do but recommend it. It is very consistent, and although it suffers from a lack of variation, they manage to engage you with their amazingly talented voices. I can't see why any fan of RB from any age, be it today or the nineties, wouldn't like the majority of this album, so there's no reason not to get it.
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Dec 29th, 2008
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