Keith Sweat's first studio album since 2011 arrived as the singer's syndicated radio program, The Sweat Hotel, was approaching its tenth year.
It could be deduced that the gig has sharpened Sweat's ears and pen, as Dress to Impress features his best round of songs in well over a decade.
Beside a small cast of writing and production associates that includes Wirlie Morris and Derek Allen, Sweat focuses on romance and emotional connection.
The album sounds fresh while drawing from numerous eras, just as the Sweat Hotel playlist roams from decade to decade.
Most exemplary is "Just the 2 of Us," a duet with Takiya Mason that skillfully fuses classic Philly soul and "Make It Last Forever" without being too indebted to either one.
As on the previous couple albums, background vocalists provide a lot of support, and Sweat's leads, more than ever, are about feeling more than technical prowess.
Silk and Dru Hill, two groups whose success was due in part to Sweat's efforts, appear on separate tracks.
The former enhance "Tonight," a sparkling traditional ballad co-written by Charlie Wilson.
Speaking of legends, the pleading "Let's Go to Bed" concludes the album with a previously unutilized vocal from Gerald Levert.
With its stream-fishing quantity of songs notwithstanding -- 16 cuts, well over an hour in duration -- Dress to Impress fulfills its intent.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Good LoveDerek Allen, Jason "Jhot" Scott, Keith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 03:44 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | TonightGary Glenn, Wirlie Morris, Keith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 04:09 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 3 | Just the 2 of UsWirlie Morris, Keith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 03:45 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 4 | Pulling Out the OneTony Haynes, Tierce Person, Francesca "Francci" Richard, Keith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 03:30 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 5 | Special NightKeith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 04:34 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 6 | Back and ForthKeith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 04:04 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 7 | Give You All of MeWirlie Morris, Keith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 04:07 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 8 | Missing You Like CrazyJerry Flowers, Keith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 04:42 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 9 | Lovers and FriendsAndrae Alexander, Tony Haynes, Tierce Person, Francesca "Francci" Richard, Keith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 04:05 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 10 | Feels GoodKaren Anderson, Keith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 04:24 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 11 | Better LoveWirlie Morris, Keith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 04:53 | 11 MB | 0 MB |
| 12 | Dressed to ImpressKeith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 04:21 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 13 | Can't Let You GoKeith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 04:17 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 14 | SayAndrae Alexander, Tony Haynes, Tierce Person, Francesca "Francci" Richard, Keith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 03:35 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 15 | Get It InKeith Sweat | Keith Sweat | Play | 04:03 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 16 | Let's Go to BedGerald Isaac | Keith Sweat | Play | 04:06 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 66 mins | 152 MB | |||||
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Segun Adebutu | Executive Producer |
| 2 | Andrae Alexander | Composer |
| 3 | Derek Allen | Composer, Producer |
| 4 | Karen Anderson | Composer |
| 5 | Luke Austin | Producer |
| 6 | Andre Booth | Mixing |
| 7 | Bryon "Mr. Talkbox" Chambers | Talk Box |
| 8 | Mike Chesser | Producer |
| 9 | Dru Hill | Featured Artist, Vocals |
| 10 | Jerry Flowers | Composer, Engineer, Producer |
| 11 | Adam Gibbs | Producer |
| 12 | Gary Glenn | Composer |
| 13 | Kevin Grainer | Mixing |
| 14 | Tony Haynes | Composer |
| 15 | Mike Heart | Producer |
| 16 | Gerald Isaac | Composer, Executive Producer, Producer |
| 17 | Phillip "Taj" Jackson | Producer |
| 18 | Adam Legister | Engineer, Keyboards |
| 19 | Gerald Levert | Featured Artist |
| 20 | Tomi Martin | Guitar |
| 21 | Takiya Mason | Featured Artist, Vocals |
| 22 | Bianca McClure | Violin |
| 23 | Wirlie Morris | Composer, Producer |
| 24 | Jackie Murphy | Art Direction, Design |
| 25 | Edward Perkins | Producer |
| 26 | Tierce Person | Composer, Producer |
| 27 | Brinson Poythress | Guitar |
| 28 | Francesca "Francci" Richard | Composer, Vocals (Background) |
| 29 | Sam Rigters | Assistant |
| 30 | Dewayne Rogers | Photography |
| 31 | Jason "Jhot" Scott | Composer, Producer, Talk Box, Vocals (Background) |
| 32 | Silk | Featured Artist |
| 33 | Alvin Speights | Engineer, Mixing |
| 34 | Keith Sweat | Composer, Engineer, Executive Producer, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 35 | Jamar Williams | Vocal Engineer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |