I can't sing. Not a note. Not with the family during "Happy Birthday". Not even for a beery, sloppy New Year's "Auld Lang Syne" (well...ok, maybe then).
Apparently, Seal doesn't have this problem. The guy can flat-out sing...with a voice equal parts Sam Cooke, Al Green and Curtis Mayfield. Toss all those influences into the pot and you've got one tasty instrument.
So as I'm giving Seal IV a few first listens, I notice that on some tunes I'm drawn right in. Held there. Yet on others there's a letdown. At first I think it's the speed: ballads like "Touch" stand out while the 70's disco-raveup "Get It Together" quickly melts into my past.
But then I get it. It's the freedom given to his voice. It's not just that "Touch" (a gorgeous love song, by the way), "Tinsel Town", and "Don't Make Me Wait" are held back in the tempo department: it's that the stripped down arrangements allow the aural spotlight to be focused on Seal's voice.
It wouldn't be fair to say that the rest of this record is a total loss. The gospel-influence of "Love's Divine" is inspiring, "Waiting For You"'s uptempo R&B is fun, and the reggae-ish "When There's Gold" is fine modern pop music.
But, at the end of the day, I really want to hear that voice. It's a beautiful and powerful thing, and can stand on its own.
(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
Always loved Seal's voice but agree the production has been way over the top (was Trevor Horn in the past), so much so that I was kind of driven away. I am anxious to hear this one, and in particular the less-produced songs you mention.
2 - Mark Saleski
Trevor Horn's on this one too...but the more minimal songs are still way-cool.
3 - michelle wolf
The song writing quality on this record is very high with greatly crafted songs and well mixed silky vocals by Seal. As for the production, I like the variety, and find it dynamic, modern and refreshing. This is his best work ever.
4 - onduko
In a scale of 1 to 10,the greatest in song have managed up to a 9.8 and maybe a little more.Seal(o yea,SEAL)...is cruising at about 14-on that very same scale-if you know what i mean!
5 - Brian Mejdrich
It is a shame that it took 6 years to get a full disc of new material from Seal. But it was worth the wait. I can't get Love's divine out of my head. I first came across Seal in August of 91 while I was watching a segment on MTV (when MTV was good), which was live in Central Park. Seal was doing an acoustic version of Crazy and finished up with several other songs from his first effort. The performance and artistry were awesome. This new effort isn't as good as the Seal I or II, but it has it's moments where the energy is phenomenal. I purchased IV on the 14 of June and have listened to it religously in the evening on my patio, while relaxing and having a glass of wine. Good effort SEAl
6 - Natalie Davis
Oh ,I love Seal's singing. Good news is, he is a really nice guy too. This LP is on the top of my music-to-get list.
7 - Bob A. Booey
Seal has a face made for gay porn. It's riveting. Was that out loud?
No one will get this joke.