Perfect Merger, 4 Out Of 5 Stars
The 1991 debut album by Seal
was a merger of two styles that made almost perfect sense; Trevor Horn's symphonic electric overloads with newly discovered vocal soul courtesy of Seal. Synthed together with house-styled club beats, their fusion launched one of the most distinctive voices of 90's soul. Seal himself was both soulful and mysterious with his unusual looks and mystical sounding lyrics. Combined with an incredible video, "Crazy" became a club anthem and top 10 hit.One of greater attractions behind the sound was Horn's production. Never one to show restraint in the past, here he keeps his overload to a minimum. Seal's voice has room to breathe on tracks like "Deep Water" or the psychedelic soul of "Future Love Paradise." That voice is a marvel. It growls and coos with equal adeptness, even if the lyrics sometimes slip into hippie-dippy territory. But when you're listening to the pump of "Killer" or the jazzy "Violet," you could forgive Seal his debut indulgences. This album is still an audacious debut of a major talent.
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