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Having now listened to "Seal IV" several times I've come to some conclusions about it. On most albums some sort of conclusion is or isn't really needed but on this one it was sort of necessary after the last, which I thought was good but others didn't.
The production, arrangements and the music is great for the most part, but I have qualms about the lyrics. It's not like on Annie Lennox's latest in which I found the lyrics unbearable, on this Seal recording they are just the regular type of bad. It doesn't hurt the musical portion all that much but just the same they don't help.
In some instances the arrangements are a bit too much like in the Motown tinged "Get It Together" and "Waiting For You" which is good but a bit too close to both Motown and Procol Harum. Also a lot of the songs sound like the "Seal" formula instead of being different and breaking some ground-even if just a square foot of it. I guess to make a new statement at this point is beyond both Seal and Trevor Horn, they found a money making sound and are going to stick with it no matter what.
Some of the lyrics are just down right embarrassing. It's sort of like he was looking for a rhyme and couldn't find a good one but said this one will do.
In "Love's Waiting" he writes "Then the rain storm came over me...and I feel my spirit break" which is not only a pretty obvious an allusion but downright (dare I say it-yes) stupid. With "Don't Make Me Wait" he writes "Don't make me wait long/Sounds like a sad song..." give me a break. On "Tinsel Town" it was just too much to have to listen to that as being the chorus and heard over and over again at the end of the song. "Therapy can be a savior..." sure!-only maybe not in this case.
To the plus side his singing is still great, but I just wish he had something better to sing about. On "Let Me Roll" he seems to get into it more. My ears wanted to say this sounds like such and such my feet wanted to point out that they danced to something like this years ago. Maybe yes, maybe no but it works for me. Finally this song sounds and feels somewhat like fresh pastures.
Normally, I wouldn't comment on packaging but this has to be one of the worst I ever seen. The way the CD is packaged makes it almost a certainty that the disc will soon be full of fingerprints and scratches. And almost never commented on is how easy or not it is to get the CD out of the package. Well this sets a new high (or a new low) on that score.
All in all it's just an okay album as the Motown Sound is not a bad sound to emulate. It sort of makes me feel/hope that perhaps on the next one Seal will break out again.
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