Seal IV CD

Seal's first album since 1998, and the third of his career to be self-titled, is the singer-songwriter's most sophisticated masterpiece to date. 12 tracks packaged in digipak format. Produced by Trevor Horn. Warner. 2003.

Personnel includes: Seal (vocals, guitar, bass); Chris Bruce (guitar, bass); Tim Pierce, Gus Isadore, Tim Cansfield (guitar); Pete Murray (piano, keyboards); Mark Baston (keyboards, programming); Jamie Muhoberac (keyboards);Ian Thomas, Earl Harvin (drums); Luis Jardim (percussion); Alan Griffiths (programming); Tessa Niles (background vocals).
Besides taking his usual multi-year hiatus before releasing Seal IV, the artist scrapped a whole album's worth of material, feeling he couldn't stand behind the strength of the songs (should this be Seal IV.I?). It's disappointing, then, that the songs on Seal IV lack any of the Grammy-grabbing flair of his earlier releases. What saves it is a conviction that is high enough to overcome, a voice that is more driven than usual, and some genuine moments of songwriting inspiration. "Let Me Roll" has a cool swagger and fun wordplay, and the yearning ballad "Loneliest Star" is only a few steps away from "Kiss from a Rose." Opener "Get It Together" offers an Up With People understanding of the state of the world with its "everyone is beautiful" sentimentality, but it's the funky backbeat and gritty vocals that make it more Al Green than Lee Greenwood. A re-recording of Seal's collaboration with Jakatta, "My Vision" is given new life through more restrained than usual production from Trevor Horn. The absence of Horn's usual bombast throughout the album allows Seal's voice (in every sense of the word) to be the focus. It's a good move, and if the totally solid Jakatta-sourced track is any indication, a break from Horn might be beneficial next time. Despite being heavy with unexceptional tunes, Seal IV has enough going for it to warrant the next four years of anticipation. ~ David Jeffries
All set to record what would become SEAL IV, the album's namesake ended up tossing a large number of tracks and returned to his London hometown to start anew after living in Los Angeles for 12 years. The result is a dozen songs with a gritty texture that better reflect the Paddington-born native's affinity for soul and reggae more so than prior work. Blessed with a burnished vocal style, Seal uses it to great effect whether he's growling out the intro to irresistible numbers like the swaggering "Waiting for You" or sounding like a cross between Teddy Pendergrass and Bobby Womack on the party invitation "Get It Together." Longtime producer Trevor Horn keeps a steady hand on the rudder, executing a concise balance of lush orchestral arrangements and ethereal keyboards on songs ranging from the ambient lovemaking invitation "Heavenly...(Good Feeling)" or the can't-miss slow jam "Don't Make Me Wait." Seal's considerable talents find him bouncing between sweeping epics such as the heavenly "Love's Divine" and snappier fare like "Let Me Roll," where this prim and proper Brit gets to strike a good-natured, faux b-boy pose.