Adele: 21
With Duffy’s new record less than memorable, Amy Whinehouse still lost in rehab and Lily Allen still annoying, the pop world needed a figure to reclaim the urban-princess role with preferably some quality tunes.
Shuffle forward Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, hailing from Brixton, whose stunning voice and song writing prowess (she wrote the Grammy nominated ‘Hometown Glory’ at just sixteen) have earned her a strong and eager following.
In 2008, she won hearts with debut '19' and promptly broke them with her cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’, which, although now clichd by X Factor, is a modern ‘classic’ and continues to earn her considerable pocket money thanks to Cowell’s karaoke contest.
I'm a relative newcomer to her work having only succumbing to buying the ‘must have’ 19 in an Xmas sale but loved every minute and eagerly awaited her second offering '21', which came out last week and shot to the top of the charts.
In the recent SEG Meeting (represent!), we discussed Adele’s tactic of naming her album in accordance with her age and I quite like the idea, using each age as means of charting a musical autobiography of sorts. It does raise the question though, how long will this age-dropping continue? Adele: 46 doesn’t quite have the same ring to it
Anyway, she’s 21 and after purchasing the so-titled ‘CD’, circular discs in plastic cases in case you weren’t aware, I settled down with a cup of passion fruit infused green tea, to which I have become quite partial of late, and absorbed the album.
It starts off with the thrilling single Rolling in the Deep, a passionate, anger fuelled love letter to an ‘almost’ relationship with real soul, aggression and fabulous backing vocals- even with my pretentious cuppa, I couldn’t help but move to the infectious beat of this bluesy record. This dark feel continues for much of the album, ‘Rumour Has It’ and ‘Turning Tables’ two marvellous tracks, and although there is much focus on let-downs and break ups, Adkins’ truly wonderful voice proves uplifting as ever. There is a definite progression from 19, with an on the whole sourer or at least matured lyric than before, and the album is mostly very moving. Certain tracks, however, underwhelm - ‘Don’t You Remember’ in particular stands out as being bland, as it were. BBC critic Ian Wade calls it a “classically styled ballad, which feels like the sort of tune you’ve known all your life”. I’d call it boring.
As the album explodes into life with Rolling the Deep, it reduces to quiet reflection with the heartbreaking ‘Someone Like You’, a bittersweet goodbye to a ‘lost love’.
The lyrics are truly devastating; “Never mind, I'll find someone like you/I wish nothing but the best for you too/Don't forget me, I beg” and “I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded/That for me, it isn't over.”
This final track really struck a chord with me and despite a few blips of the mundane, so did the album as a whole. '21' may ultimately be a pop record, but in a commercial industry dominated by trashy club ‘toooons’, it’s nice to see, in Adele, a talented singer songwriter doing so very well.
Adele: 21 is out now on XL Records and is available from Spillers Records, Cardiff and all other, not half as good, retailers.
IMAGE: Itchys
2 Comments – Post a comment
Faymondo:)
Commented 64 months ago - 5th February 2011 - 20:14pm
I love Adele!!! She has an amazing soulful voice; she's one of my inspirations, and has influenced my style of singing since I first heard her in'19', when it first came out.
I also like it that she's not in every magazine and selling herself in all areas, she's real and true to herself.
Hopefully she'll keep writing and producing heart-felt songs, for me to sing along too...:P
twilightcrazedxxx
Commented 47 months ago - 11th June 2012 - 16:50pm
I love Adele too! I think her second album is better than the first thoughhh... JUST BECAUSE IT HAS 'I'LL BE WAITING'!!!! That's my favourite song ever! xxx