Seal - 7 (2015)

Unfairly, I compare all Seal music to his second self-titled album, which was released in 1994 - a full generation ago. That release is easily his best and nothing since has measured up. This gives it the old college try and succeeds at times, but other times falls into the melodramatic trap of someone whose heart was broken (one Amazon reviewer titles his/her contribution "This Must Be How It Feels To Get Dumped By A Supermodel"). Using music as therapy - can't really blame him there. It's undeniably a Seal/Horn collaboration, but with a large number of midtempo tracks, it ends up being closer to Human Being than the 1994 release.

It was on the Billboard 200 for only one week and Metacritic didn't even bother with it - ouch. (Based on the reviews I read, my estimate for the Metacritic rating would be 60, which might be a little higher than I would rate it.) Not a terrible release by any means, but not up there with his best. Trevor Horn's production is always welcome; it's better than the songwriting here and probably ultimately saves the album from becoming Seal's worst.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #45

Tracks:

Top tier: Every Time I'm With You (Seal's attempt at Hey Jude?) and Life On The Dancefloor.

Vast middle tier: Daylight Saving, Padded Cell (verse is skippable but chorus is top tier), Redzone Killer, Monascow, Half A Heart, Let Yourself, and Whatever You Need (bonus track).

Skip these tracks tier: Do You Ever, The Big Love Has Died, Love, and We Found Love (bonus track).

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None. I should probably give it more of chance and listen to it daily for about a week, but [insert your favorite excuse here].

Previously revisited for the blog:
Best 1991-2004 (2004)
IV (2003)
Human Being (1998)
Seal (1994)
Seal (1991)