Adele-"19" Review

When you first look at Adele, it’s easy to see that she does not fit the mold of well, pretty much anything. While most artists are either perfectly put together or crudely underdressed to increase interest, Adele is simply real. There is no gimmick, just a twenty year old making music. And while she appeared just as Amy Winehouse was losing her grip, both musically and mentally, the world wanted to replace her. Who better than Adele, whose subject matter is basically the same as Winehouse? True there are quite a few similarities between the two British songstresses, but in all actuality, the comparison between them is not fair to either artist.

Amy Winehouse possesses a dark, broadening tone that drags her music into her voice until they become one single entity. Adele is a tad bit brighter, not as concerned with the big band arrangements or the tragic piano and string pieces of Winehouse. Adele opens “19” with its most simple track “Daydreamer”, which only features a couple guitars. And then right in the middle there’s the twinkle of “First Love”, which has a music box accompaniment well suited for the innocence of Adele’s vocal performance. Both of these songs seem endearing, not brooding like Winehouse. Also, Adele doesn’t jump around from a slow, stark ballad, to an exciting Motown jig as much as Winehouse does on her albums. Adele slowly eases you into the more pop-py songs in her arsenal, which sound just as good as her exposed ballads. Nobody can deny the sheer power of “Chasing Pavements” or the exhilaration of “Cold Shoulder”, but after a while, when all is said and done and we’re still not halfway through the album yet, you get songs like “Melt My Heart to Stone” and “My Same”, which are good, but their brilliance is eclipsed by the earlier material. That’s what is bluesy about Adele, not the background music, but the content of her work. She will no doubt keep humming along in sorrow as long as she involves herself with bad relationships.

But not to worry, Adele still keeps a pretty steady pace on “19”, and there is still a variety of styles here, not just whiny proclamations. What ultimately sets Adele apart from Amy Winehouse is that Adele possesses vocal and lyrical maturity, but delivers it with the vibrant youth that the mainstream of 2008 revolves around. In complete honesty, Adele is just one of those rare talents that can’t be compared to anyone. She does not fit the mold, but that’s far okay with potential like this. As she wraps up “19’ with “Hometown Glory”, you can be sure that she is not just a fleeting phenomenon. This album falls a bit flat, but once Adele settles into her skin and is fully confident with her raw talent, a much more invigorating album surely awaits.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:

1. Daydreamer           2. Best for Last            3. Chasing Pavements
4. Cold Shoulder       5. Crazy for You         6. Melt My Heart to Stone
7. First Love                8. Right as Rain         9. Make You Feel My Love
10. My Same              11. Tired                      12. Hometown Glory