Rich harmonies and sleek R&B production with an abundance of vocal acrobatics are all key elements of
Dru Hill's eponymous debut. Immediate comparisons to
Jodeci and
Boyz II Men come to mind, but what makes
Dru Hill stand out from the pack is the rawness of
Keith Sweat's productions. Other songs on here are of noteworthy interest only to die-hard
Dru Hill fanatics, but it was the monster "Tell Me" that effectively put
Dru Hill near the head of R&B's class of 1996 -- a year that featured stellar releases by
Aaliyah,
Jay-Z, and several others at the peak of their games. An impressive debut and a razor-sharp clue of the great things to come. ~ Rob Theakston