Soul review

Seal and David Foster’s successful tandem

Undoubtedly each of the albums and compilations released by Seal who possesses one of the world’s best baritones deserves praise for this performer’s talent is incontestable. His music is famous for being romantic, sincere and charging with amazing emotionality. This year the artist releases his seventh studio work Soul, a collection of covers of classic soul songs for which the English singer’s vocals are just perfect. The album is a follow-up to his splendid 2007’s dance record System. The new creation’s producer is legendary David Foster and definitely the two talents’ tandem has proved quite successful. Both have enjoyed this collaboration and are still ready to tell everyone of the happiness they felt when the album Soul was ready. Every song on the record is well known to everybody who is interested in the genre at least a little and if you have not yet heard some of them then performed by Seal they are sure to impress no less than the originals and linger in the mind.

One wants to play Soul again and again

As David Foster himself has said ‘Seal was born to sing this songs’ and not everyone who listens to Soul at least once will be bold enough to argue that. The soulfulness of Seal’s singing is so contagious that one wants to play this album again and again and it will not bother for quite some time. It opens with the first single A Change Is Gonna Come conquering from the very first sounds of the orchestra arrangement with the tubes being especially notable. Who did not cover the famous hit I Can't Stand The Rain but only some have managed to render its desperate atmosphere and naturally Seal is one of those some. Jazz elements refine track It's A Man's Man's Man's World, the most beautiful and complicated piece on the record demonstrating once again the singer’s wonderful vocals. A more energetic number Here I Am (Come And Take Me) reminds of Joe Cocker’s best hits while a romantic and sad ballad I've Been Loving You Too Long is one of the most lyrical things Seal has ever performed. A light and optimistic song It's Alright charges with its positive mood, and although this composition is the least suitable for the artist’s husky voice he has performed his task quite well here, too. A piano ballad If You Don't Know Me By Now will especially please those fond of boys-bands’ music with Seal doing quite good diversifying his vocals to make the song sound as interesting as in the original. Besides he has rendered the atmosphere of a mid-tempo number Knock On Wood. Yet certainly Seal has performed the best the excellent hit Stand By Me allowing himself a slight interpretation that is only for the song’s good.

Soul practically is a fully Seal’s work

Seal is one of those few pop performers who remain successful throughout their careers and the audience is always anticipating their new creations. Whatever the evil tongues might say but his velvet voice is able to elate the listener and create a romantic atmosphere making any event an unforgettable one. On his new album Soul as well there are songs perfectly suitable for a romantic dinner with candles or just a tranquil time passing both with the family or with a company of friends. Besides this record can be insistently recommended to be played while driving for it is both vivid and dynamic. Great time-tested tunes allow the artist to apply his vocal skills one hundred percent. The arrangements that Foster has made are contemporary and at the same time they preserve the stylistics of the epoch when most of these compositions were written. Yet certainly it is Seal who plays the leading role on Soul. We cannot say he has changed the soul standards too much adding a bit of his own apprehension to them but due to the artist’s wonderful zeal these 12 songs actually do sound in a new way which makes Soul practically a fully Seal’s work.