Somewhere between brain music and body music sits Seal. His enlistment of former dance/electronic artist Stuart Price to produce his fifth full-length doesn't represent a move in one of those directions. After Seal's singular baritone—which is getting even more pleasingly throaty as he ages—the songs are the focus here. Some hum and build like good club tracks ("Loaded"); some launch as acoustic guitar pieces and pick up steady kick drums along the way ("Dumb," album standout "Rolling"). But they're all melodious, lyrical and as intimate as any singer/songwriter's sparser work. Even a duet with wife Heidi Klum ("Wedding Day") is more sweet than saccharine. But the best part: The 10 songs are all strong, and placed in an order that creates an emotional arc, like a real—what's that word again?—album. —Kerri Mason