The first thing that's instantly noticeable about
Daddy's Home
is its distinctive cover of a shadowy military man overlooking the horizon, with a blended image of
Bobby Seals
' face off in the distance. It's a bit like the scene in
The Lion King
where
Simba
's father is speaking to him through the clouds. Graphic design aside,
might be considered a three-song, ten-minute exercise in befuddlement. It feels as if it's over before it truly begins, and it starts with
"Daddy's Home,"
a peculiar medley of
"We Belong Together,"
"You Send Me,"
and a few baby-boomer golden-oldie classics. The EP is then topped off with a stirring
"Christmas in Dixie"
and what has to be one of the worst-produced renditions of
"Unchained Melody"
on record. The drum machine and keyboards are flat and two-dimensional, and
Seals
' voice changes from being rich and full to highly chorused and compressed. It's a curious little release, but the whole concept should have been part of a full-length CD instead of a three-song teaser. ~ Rob Theakston