System
| Seal
System
System is the fifth studio album by British soul/R&B singer Seal, released on 12 November 2007. In his online blog, Seal described the album as a return to his dance roots and his best album since his debut. However, it is his lowest-selling album to date in the US, selling 155,000 copies in the first year of its release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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BBC
There is nothing remarkable on System, nothing to bring in the unconvinced. But it is relatively consistent, easy on the ears, and may well get you dancing round the house, if not jumping up and down on the dance floor.
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The Guardian
Just as it seemed he was settling into a sedate middle age with a sound best described as stadium folk, Seal has set an album to the permanent pace of coming up on a fourth pill. Someone at a free party, somewhere, is going to adore this record.
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Albumism
. . . System was a triumphant confirmation of the idea of the “creative journey,” something central to Seal’s identity, musically. Though System is direct in its “return” to dance music, it was one that felt natural and authentic, two elements consistently present in Seal’s canon.
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AllMusic
System may be a dance album but it never feels as if its meant for clubs and parties, unless they're upscale cocktail parties. This may not be as soft as the music he made after "Kiss from a Rose," but the feel is the same: it's calming, atmospheric music, even when the beat pulsates relentlessly, . . . . As this is an appealing sound, System goes down smooth,
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Slant Magazine
For System, only his fifth album in 16 years, Seal gave long-time collaborator Trevor Horn the boot and commissioned DJ/producer Stuart Price to recapture that early-‘90s dance vibe; on paper, they seem like a great pair, but this new direction doesn’t seem to have taken Mr. Heidi Klum much farther than the very next town.
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PopMatters
And what is the end result? A fairly typical Seal album, just one that makes you dance a little more!
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Boston Globe
"Amazing," the first single from Seal's fifth studio album, is just that: an uplifting, memorable number about the power of redemption. What is more amazing is that the album's other tracks actually come close to the "Amazing" standard.
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Variety
"System" reflects the same Seal formula he's been brewing for the better part of 15 years with no great strides forward; . . . .
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Stephanized!
Present still are the soloist’s unusual chord choices and soul-searching, upper-echelon lyricism, affirming the veteran’s talent and experience. But Seal’s discrete-yet-bland vocals are interesting for a second, boring within the minute; the sleek, Euro-dance direction from Price is therefore System’s saving grace.
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