The English singer Seal’s audacious debut turns his wide-ranging knowledge of the ‘90s musical landscape—thudding electronic, plush synth-pop, deeply felt R&B—into an album that balances on big beats while being carried along by Seal’s raspy instrument and thoughtful lyrics. The kaleidoscopic “Crazy” marries Seal’s depictions of life’s breaking points to dizzying synths; “Killer” places booming rhythms underneath Seal’s ruminations on the world’s ills. “Violet,” which closes out the album, simmers with hope, its Quiet Storm-recalling thrum adding heat to its humanistic optimism.