Rebirth

by John BushIt's not a comeback because he's been putting out records consistently since the late '80s, and it's not really a creative reawakening since he hasn't changed anything about his game. In the end, Rebirth is really just another Keith Sweat album, and it's a tribute to one of the leading soul men of the '80s and '90s that he can continue making records as smooth and as vigorous as this one 15 years down the road. He produces about half of the songs, while co-producer Roy "Royalty" Hamilton takes most of the first few. Other than a few carefully placed samples, there aren't many nods to contemporary rap, just the same mid-tempo chug over loving/pleading songs like "I Want You," "Gots to Have It," "Ladies Night," and "One on One." Sweat is still in great voice, and it's his personality that carries Rebirth, even when it sounds similar to his work in the past.