SEAL’S new album has been gaining plenty of airplay, and no wonder – it’s packed with timeless classics such as James Brown’s It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World, Otis Redding’s I’ve Been Loving You Too Long and Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Going To Come (lately recast as the anthem for President-elect Obama).

So it will probably sell shelf loads, but is Seal a worthy pretender to the soul throne? His voice – deep with a sweet huskiness – is rightly celebrated, but is no match for the great forefathers of soul. They were trailblazers and sang, well from the soul. Listen to them and nothing else matters. Seal fails to command the same attention, and his voice competes with the smooth MOR production, which makes him sound old fashioned in the way that Messers Cooke, Gaye and Redding never do.

Lemar was runner up in a TV talent competition, but is one of the few pop-star wannabes to still be working in the business. Despite this being his fourth studio album, Lemar has yet to hit the jackpot like Leona Lewis or Will Young (perhaps he needs a second name?). This is a decent showcase of songs – ten in all – yet not one track digs deep. Several tracks demand comparison with Gnarls Barkley, namely the catchy Little Miss Heartbreaker and Trust Me.

Two highlights are the simple ballad, Mayday, and Not What You Say, with its Stylistics-esque verses allowing Lemar to make his contribution to the retro-soul bandwagon which shows no signs of stopping.

• Lemar plays Harrogate International Centre on April 14