Review of Seal IV Album by Seal

Seal - Seal IV

Get Real Player Get Windows Media Player
Seal - Seal IV - Album Review - Released 15.09.03
Seal first came to attention when he provided the vocals for Adamski's track 'Killer', a track that enjoyed phenomenal success and spent four weeks at the top of the charts back in 1990. 13 years on Seal is back. It's been 5 years since his last album and I've got to say "if the next one is 10 years away that would be too soon for me". Graced with a gravel encrusted vocal box that is instantly recognisable I scratch my head and wonder why Seal keeps pumping out this salesman-soul that even Alan Partridge may find a bit too safe.

Not wanting to attack an easy target I will concentrate on the good. Seal is a superb singer cutting from funky short rhymes to deep and beautiful stretched baritones there is no style this guy can't do some justice to. His band and writing collaborations are also high caliber stuff. Lots of major 80's musso's hook up with more recent favorites India Arie and Jakatta.
Seal - Seal IV - Album Review

When it comes to the songs and the recording - Seal experiments with a number of different styles. Some work better than others 'Where there's Gold' is a nave attempt at Denis Brown style reggae which flops badly. For me the high points and obvious singles on the album are 'Loneliest Star' & 'Get It Together' mainly because they chime with the familiar Seal sound. So, if the best thing about this album is the bit that sounds like the old stuff I must conclude that Seal had better pack it all in and write an autobiography or tour the Vegas casinos or something. The question is…..Why should this stuff get airplay and more importantly who's going to buy it - should it gain airplay?

2 out of 10

www.seal.com

Seal - Get it together video + Interview footage
Track /Title
Watch
Watch
Download
Real Media
Windows Media
Windows Media
get it together Video
-
The Making of Video
-
get it together interview
-
loves divine interview
-
waiting for you interview
-

Contactmusic