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.After five years and one do-over later, Seal presents a fourth album that finds the singer growing with his audience. The disc's opener, "Get It Together," melds a quiet "live" moment into a horn-and-string disco number, setting the stage for the rest of the disc, which is largely a nod to Detroit- and Philly-R&B. The British-born musician pulls it off. His rasp and emotive, positive vocals are well suited for the retro stylings he attempts. "Waiting for You" will flood the dance floor, and he's unafraid to dig deep for the ballads--Marvin Gaye would approve. The funk is real, but saddled with a pop safety net, and the upbeat tracks need a helping hand from a good remixer before they are as compelling as his seminal singles "Killer" and "Crazy." Seal never goes all out in any direction and this coolness, combined with Trevor Horn's perfectionist production, plants the album inescapably in the realm of adult contemporary (although this is as good as adult contemporary gets). On "Let Me Roll" Seal salutes the album's influences by proclaiming he's "not too proud to beg." If that were actually true, the songs would have been that much better for it. --Beth Massa
