"Standards" is the 10th studio album by British soul and R&B singer-songwriter Seal. The album was released on 10 November 2017 by Decca Records and Virgin EMI Records. With the release of 7, Seal ended his recording contract with Warner Bros. Records. In an interview with Billboard in August 2017, Seal said he doesn't plan on releasing albums in the future. In September 2017, Universal Music announced the release of Standards. Seal said of the album: "This is the album I have always wanted to make. I grew up listening to music from the Rat Pack era, so recording these timeless tunes was a lifelong dream. It was a true honour to collaborate with the same musicians who performed with Frank Sinatra and so many of my favourite artists, in the very same studios where the magic was first made - it was one of the greatest days of my recording career."


Albums of reworked pop and jazz classics released in November bear warnings of creative resignation and commercial opportunism. Seal, however, evidently entered the historic Capitol Studios and United Recording more delighted than a kid in a candy store who just had his braces removed. Going by his liner notes, in which he raves about performing with a 65-piece orchestra, cutting the set, his first for Republic, had an invigorating effect on him. Conducted and arranged by Grammy nominee Chris Walden, Standards was recorded with first-rate studio veterans, some of whom worked with Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. Seal doesn't waste the grand setting, exhibiting full-effort sincerity, winking charm, and even rare flashes of vivacity at all the right moments, as if this was the album the gravelly tenor was born to make. With the exception of early-'60s selections "It Was a Very Good Year" and "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is" -- the latter coincidentally reworked by Boyz II Men for Under the Streetlight, released only a month prior -- all the source material dates from the '30s, '40s, and '50s. The likes of "Luck Be a Lady," "My Funny Valentine," "I've Got You Under My Skin," and "They Can't Take That Away from Me" must be among the songs least in need of new faithful interpretations, but it all plays out with studied finesse. Seal wasn't merely thrown a stack of sheet music and told to crank out the product. It's a treat for fans, as well as the singer, which is part of the appeal.



Tracklist:

01. Luck Be A Lady (04:36)
02. Autumn Leaves (02:56)
03. I Put A Spell On You (02:56)
04. They Can't Take That Away From Me (03:16)
05. Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (04:32)
06. Love For Sale (03:46)
07. My Funny Valentine (04:33)
08. I've Got You Under My Skin (03:14)
09. Smile (04:31)
10. I'm Beginning To See The Light (03:06)
11. It Was A Very Good Year (04:43)
Bonus Tracks:
12. The Nearness Of You (03:53)
13. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow (02:39)
14. Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting) (03:38)
15. Angel Eyes - Demo (Track for Japan only) (02:56)
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