Album review: Adele, '21'
3 stars (out of 4)
Few contemporary singers do unrequited love as righteously as British vocalist Adele Adkins. Part of a recent wave of U.K. neo-soul singers including Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Corrine Bailey Rae and Estelle, Adele sounds simultaneously bruised and defiant. Without histrionics or excessive melisma – the bane of way too many over-emoting pop singers these days – Adele cuts straight to the heart of a song and puts the emphasis on emotion rather than acrobatics.
Her second album, “21” (XL/Columbia), named after her age when she recorded it, is an improvement over her 2008 debut, “19.” Already it has sold more than 600,000 copies in the U.K., a rare double-platinum release in that country, and now it is making its U.S. debut. In contrast to the folk-based songs of the first album, “21” beefs up the rhythmic drive and the drama of the arrangements. A handful of hot-shot producers, including Rick Rubin, Ryan Tedder and Paul Epworth build a more elaborate platform beneath Adele’s aching vocals.
Too bad the songs themselves aren’t better. It’s only the sheer conviction of Adele’s voice that prevents “Don’t You Remember” from drowning in its own sap or the tortured turns of phrase in “Set Fire to the Rain” from collapsing. It’s best to focus on the sheer sonic splendor of Adele’s voice set against some dramatic arrangements, especially the rumbling regret of “Rolling in the Deep” and the piano-based melancholy of “Turning Tables.”
greg@gregkot.com