Seth MacFarlane’s first foray into recorded music, “Music is Better Than Words,” is sure to come as a surprise to most who are familiar with his work.  It is no small leap from the irreverently referential humor of “Family Guy” and “American Dad” to the tongue-in-cheek jazz-pop of his debut album.  But it isn’t completely out of the blue either.

Music has always played a central role in “Family Guy,” from the Broadway-style theme to the often arbitrary—but frequently engaging—song-and-dance numbers peppered throughout the series.  In 2002, MacFarlane won an Emmy for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for the show.  The family dog, Brian, to whom MacFarlane lends his natural speaking voice, is often heard singing in the style of the crooners of the 1940s and ’50s.

Extending that concept, but shedding the pretense of an embittered, old-soul talking dog, “Music is Better Than Words” finds MacFarlane interpreting a range of standards in front of big-band and orchestral instrumentation.  It is no accident that the album has a sound reminiscent of Frank Sinatra’s best-known recordings–not only does MacFarlane cite Sinatra as a primary influence, but the recording session took place in the same Capitol recording studio that Sinatra used throughout the ’50s and well into the ’60s.  MacFarlane even used a 60-year-old microphone that Sinatra once used. However, MacFarlane shares more than a microphone with his hero–like Sinatra, MacFarlane moves effortlessly from a rich, warm bass to remarkably sweet tenor highs, remaining as expressive as his award-winning voice acting regardless of register or tempo.

Despite these similarities, the album nimbly avoids sounding like Sinatra mimicry, largely through song choice.  Although all but one song on the album are older tunes by Great American Songbook composers, including Richard Rodgers, Hoagy Carmichael, and Jimmy Van Heusen, MacFarlane wisely chooses lesser-known songs, many of which may be unfamiliar even to a niche audience.

The album is buoyed by the arrangements of “American Dad” composer Joel McNeely, which in addition to harmonic and contrapuntal nuance have a sense of humor befitting MacFarlane.  McNeely also lent one original song to the session: the final track, entitled “She’s Wonderful Too.”

The album features guest vocals from two of contemporary popular music’s more talented female singers: Norah Jones and Sara Bareilles, both of whom sound completely at ease in a jazz-pop style.  Bareilles in particular shines on the playfully dark track, “Love Won’t Let You Get Away,” whose clever lyrics, coupled with the natural chemistry of the two singers, make it the album’s obvious standout.

Although some may dismiss “Music is Better Than Words” as gimmicky nostalgia or even as a commercial stunt, and it suffers at times from its long-windedness (the 14-track album clocks in at over 50 minutes), it is ultimately a successful debut.  MacFarlane’s music might never get him as much attention as his television series, but to my ears, his music is, if not necessarily better, at least whole lot classier than his words.