Seal

Seal dispenses with some of the moodiness of albums past and goes with a deeper shade of soul on Seal IV. While the singer's talent for the dramatic ballad remains fully intact, he makes a more prominent connection to the greats than in his previous work, with nods here to Al Green, Motown and even Otis Redding.

With his long-awaited return after a five-year absence, Seal brings an effortless masculinity
-- strong without being a macho caricature; sensitive without being a wuss -- that's been
sorely missing from the pop charts. Working with his longtime producer, the brilliant
Trevor Horn, the singer-songwriter retreats from the lush, moody introspection of 1998's
Human Being for a more accessible collection of soul pop. He retains his unwave... More >