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Seal System Rating: 2/5 |
Few people can claim to have both been kissed by a rose and by Heidi Klum.
Sealhenry Samuel, a.k.a Seal, is one of the lucky few that can verifiably claim to have accomplished both feats. Having accomplished massive fame during the ’90s for his house/dance music and sappy ballads (“Kissed by a Rose”), Seal fell into semi-obscurity during the 2000s until he married Heidi Klum. After his marriage, many people became more concerned with Seal’s bedroom skills than his musical ones. Seal responded to this by recording his newest album, “System,” a haphazard affair that leaves one more curious about his tantric acumen then the release date of his next record.
In his newest album, the artist returns to his house/dance roots, layering catchy melodies over rhythmic beats. Unfortunately, his skills at combining those two elements, which were demonstrated well on some of his earlier albums, is completely absent this time. One of his most obvious attempts at recalling his past house glories is, “If It’s on my Mind, It’s on my Face.” Unfortunately, this track is not particularly unique or well done. It is at best a mediocre dance song that is a caricature of what Seal could once do.
Many of the other songs are listless and fail to engage the listener. Tracks such as “Just Like Before,” “The Right Life” and “Loaded” are about as exciting and inventive as white toast with mayo. These indistinct and completely unoriginal songs bog the album down.
Fortunately, not every song is a complete disaster. In an impressive feat, one of the best songs on the album continuously totters between complete failure and musical magic. This is “Wedding Day,” which features Seal’s most famous companion, Heidi Klum. One part sincere love song, one part kitsch and one part sappy guest appearance, the ingredients add up to a delicious song that flirts with a bitter aftertaste.
“Amazing (Thin White Duke Edit)” is a fun and catchy song that shows how Seal can combine house/dance music with catchy modern R&B to produce a solid ode to David Bowie’s flirtations with dance. On “System,” Seal impresses with his vocal prowess and incredibly rhythmic musical backing.
If there is one element that continuously prevents “System” from being a complete disaster, it is Seal’s voice. Sweet, with a slight edge, it is a fantastic R&B voice. Even the most generic songs are given a little bit of life by Seal’s voice. This is best demonstrated on “Rolling,” a sweet, semi-acoustic song in which Seal’s vocals are the focal point. The song’s beauty makes the listener yearn for more songs in which Seal is the centerpiece.
Unfortunately, none of the other songs on the album highlight Seal’s voice so well, and none of the songs are as engaging as “Rolling.”
Seal’s return to the music scene after his four-year hiatus is, for the most part, a disappointment. A few of the songs are quite good, especially “Rolling,” but for the most part, the album wallows in mediocrity. Maybe someday Seal will produce an album that highlights his powerful voice in a satisfactory way. Until that happens, it will continue to be more entertaining waiting for the inevitable Seal/Heidi Klum sex tape.