Fortunately for record sales, Seal's new album Soul 2 Deluxe was on sale Jan. 24, released soon after he confirmed his divorce with superstar Heidi Klum. Seal is a British-born R&B/soul singer and songwriter. His album probably will catch some eyes because his celebrity divorce seems extremely unexpected and a little disheartening. We all saw Katy Perry and Russell Brand's split coming, but the seven-year marriage between supermodel Heidi Klum and sensitive, soulful artist Seal seemed untouchable. Honestly, I can admit I've spent more time watching reruns of Project Runway than I have spent listening to Seal. His album is a sequel to his 2008 disc Soul, both containing covers of romantic classics from the 1970s. We can conclude from his covers such as "Let's Stay Together" (Al Green) and "Back Stabbers" (The O'Jays) that Seal might be having a tough time with the end of his marriage to a supermodel.
On the album, Seal uses his four-time Grammy winning voice to reinterpret famous songs by a variety of famous artists, such as Bill Withers, Ross Royce, Teddy Pendergrass, The Chi-Lites, The Miracles, The Spinners, and Marvin Gaye. Those who enjoy Seal's soothing voice will be relieved that the album title really does speak for itself. The album is consistent with his singing style and contains few differences overall from Soul, yet I couldn't help but be a bit overwhelmed by the songs, especially "Love T.K.O" (Teddy Pendergrass) and "Ooh Baby Baby" (The Miracles), which share the overarching, depressing theme of lost love. The list of songs that Seal covers has little variability and is relatively depressing. Although the songs are merely covers, the "Love T.K.O" lyrics like "Take the bumps and the bruises / Of all the things of a two-time loser / Tryin' to hold on, faith is gone / It's just another sad song" seem to be too real. Seal's voice really shines in his rendition of the Chi-Lites' classic "Oh Baby," making it really the gem of the album. Maybe it's the looming news of his recent divorce, but I can't help but pay attention to its lyrics, "pain will double if you leave me now / 'Cause I don't know where to look for love."
This afternoon I was having trouble understanding why I was feeling so melancholy, until I remembered that I had listened to the entirety of Soul 2 earlier in the day. It seems that Seal's previous album, Soul contained a wider selection of fast-tempo songs than its later counterpart. Soul's songs "Knock on Wood" and "It's Alright" contain faster and more upbeat tempos and messages. The lyrics of "It's Alright," "You got soul / Everybody knows that it's alright / Whoa it's alright" are a bit different from the lyrics "You abandoned me / Love don't live here anymore" from "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" in Soul 2.
There is no arguing that Seal's beautifully rich voice has allowed him to become a talented and world-loved artist. It seems, though, that Soul 2 is the mellower, cynical twin of Soul. Luckily the album ends on a lighter message with "Ain't Nothing But a House Party." Its faster tempo seems a bit out of place alongside the other songs, but is much welcomed after a list of classic soul songs deterring its listener from ever seeking a celebrity marriage.
Seal was recently on The Ellen Degeneres Show, where he explained that he will continue to wear his wedding ring as a symbol of his and Heidi's shared seven years and their children. Seal may not be able to shake off Rose Royce's lyrics "I just can't let you go, for me you were meant / I'm wishing on a star / to follow where you are..." If you are looking for a mixed bag of mellow, classic love jams, I would suggest listening to Soul, or even better, check out the originals. Unfortunately, this album couldn't save Seal and Heidi's marriage, and may possibly have been the cause of its demise in the first place.
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