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Rating: Great |
It’s easy to get the wrong impression of Adele. She looks like another Kate Nash, with Top Shop dresses and hairdos that only a mother could love. And the fact that she’s been making waves on MySpace for a while now only adds to the sense of dread. Add to that a debut that was filled to the brim with nervous hangovers, and expectations for her album aren’t exactly high.
Which is why it comes as such a shock that it’s a genuinely moving, maturely considered and brilliantly sung opus that belies its age. Listening to it for the first time is the aural equivalent of walking into one of those oh-so-quirky cafes you expect to be filled with nondescript scenesters and discovering that everyone inside is friendly and serving up the finest soul food to gorge yourself on.
She straddles the line between blues, folk and jazz, offering something for everyone without ever committing to any particular trend. Her melodies radiate warmth, her vocals are occasionally stunning and, from the dramatic Hometown Glory, the spiky cool of Cold Shoulder (which unexpectedly recalls Shara Nelson-era Massive Attack) and the piano epic Make You Feel My Love, she has songs that make Lily Allen and Kate Nash sound as ordinary as they are.
That said, some caution is in order. There is a danger that the hyperbole here may overwhelm her true potential: The Brit Awards made her the first-ever winner of the Critics' Choice award, the BBC's Sound of 2008 list named her the UK's most promising new music talent, while one magazine compared her songbook to that of Leonard Cohen! While she is undoubtedly good, she is not quite worthy of such accolades, with her voice lacking a little soul and her songwriting lacking a little depth.
Adele is a bright prospect and a real talent, but like Amy Winehouse, who attended the same performing arts school, her genius will only truly shine when she is further along in her career – although hopefully she will be better able to handle the astronomical fame that awaits her than the crumbling Ms Fielder-Civil.
19 is a great start, a solid foundation to build a career on and a wonderful reminder of how great homegrown talent can be. It just goes to show that the old adage is true - don't judge a pop star by her cover.
= Full Album Play List =
= Track List =
