British pop-soul and Grammy-winning singer Seal is back this year with a new album since “7” in 2015. This time, he brings another cover album, akin to “Soul” and “Soul 2.” Instead of paying tribute to classic gospel and soul hits, Seal delivers his own renditions of a few popular jazz standards from yesteryear.
The album, rightfully dubbed “Standard,” is a tight 11 tracks, clocking in at just over 42 minutes long. Seal takes on a range of tunes originally written and performed by a variety of artists, from legendary pianist and big-band pioneer Duke Ellington and orchestral jazz composer George Gershwin to famous show tune writer Cole Porter. The influences from these artists are incredibly apparent in Seal’s performances.
The album starts off with “Luck Be a Lady,” originally written by Broadway composer Frank Loesser. This song, as well as being incredibly catchy, sets the mood for the rest of the album. The tune introduces the common themes of big, shouting brass sections and beautiful, sweeping orchestras. Following this tune is “Autumn Leaves,” a slower-moving ballad that further showcases the gorgeous orchestra, reminiscent of those out of a Broadway play.
The orchestral-only background in tunes like “Autumn Leaves” and “My Funny Valentine” gives Seal’s voice the chance to shine in the foreground. His voice remains as deep and smooth as it has been since “Kiss from a Rose,” but his increasing lack of range, presumably from his age, makes some songs grow stale within their first minute, as Seal lacks the dynamicity he used to have in his earlier work. This can be heard in “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is,” which provides nothing interesting in Seal’s singing nor in his supporting band.
The band, nonetheless, is phenomenal and shines through on the louder and faster swinging tracks such as “Luck Be a Lady” and “I’m Beginning to See the Light.” The percussion and horns are consistently tight, as to be expected, and the leads and solos are always dynamic and colorful. They add more of a musical edge to the tracks, rather than relying solely on Seal’s vocal leads.
The covers on this album are generally well chosen, offering several moods and genres, from swing and blues to bossa nova stylings. Some work better with Seal’s signature singing voice than others, but the variety keeps the album from going completely stale. Although there is such variety, the album still seems to grow old and repetitive toward the end of the second half, especially since just about every track is a love song. This is a normalcy for Seal, but it offers very little diversity in the lyrical sense.
Seal, overall, delivers an entertaining package of jazz covers, which is incredibly refreshing for his repertoire. “Standards” offers great music from great musicians, soulful vocals on behalf of Seal, and, for jazz fans, a number of great go-to covers of classic standards that do the originals justice.
Photo: by Eva Rinaldi (https://goo.gl/Vsqu2z) via flickr
