Adele's first album, 19, received rave reviews and the singles from this album, including the entirely unoffensive Chasing Pavements and the cover of Bob Dylan's 'Make You Feel My Love' (which could be heard ad nauseum on the airwaves and on various TV stations), were lauded by critics and the record buying public alike. Indeed, it was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2008 and went 4 times platinum in the UK and once in the USA. It was, however, awarded a surly 5/10 by NME, although this is perhaps a reflection more on a somewhat blinkered indie-centric approach of the magazine than a true reflection on the album.
Adele's latest offering, 21, has remained at the top of the UK charts since its release in January. For the last few months, it has been nigh on impossible to avoid Adele, most notably her performance of 'Someone Like You' at the Brit Awards in February. In addition to the lead single from 21, 'Rolling in the Deep', her latest releases have undoubtedly made a great impression on the nation's auditory conscience.
21 opens with 'Rolling in the Deep', a song with a strong bass line which is a firm departure from the soft sound of 'Make You Feel My Love'. In the opening line, 'There's a fire starting in my heart', Adele demonstrates the strength of her voice, and this sets a real statement of intent for the album. Lyrically, RITD doesn't represent any notable new level or reach for Adele. Here, we cover the standard fare of a broken relationship and Adele's planned revenge - 'You could have had it all', but 'You're gonna wish you had never met me.' Albeit another tale of heartbreak, it is a cracking song, with a real contemporary, pounding beat and bass, which, along with the piano arrangement, compliments Adele's voice brilliantly, especially in the bridge, where, briefly, the band, but for the drums, sit back and let Adele's voice and the backing singers take centre stage. The clarity of the production is also superb.
In the opening refrain of 'Rumour Has It', those who bought 21 in the belief that it was an album full of songs like 'Make You Feel My Love' and 'Someone Like You' may be wondering whether they have procured the right album. Again, the bass and drums take centre stage in creating the charming and foot-tapping beat. Halfway through, the track deviates to a soft, slower paced affair. This, for me, is an unwanted deviation from what was a quick-paced, enchanting track which flowed relentlessly. The bridge breaks the flow, and might have better been left out, otherwise, another solid track.
'Turning Tables' sees the first surfacing of a piano/vocal led song, which is neatly accompanied by a string section. The result is a powerful, emotional song which follows the route of Adele's now trademark emotional lyric. For a piano led ballad, it feels rather pacy. The song doesn't give you a second to stop and dwell on the lyrics - indeed, at times, the annunciation of some words can be difficult to make out at times in this track. The chorus of 'I can't keep up with your turning tables/ Under your thumb I can't breathe' speaks of a restrictive relationship. Whether the lack of clarity of her words is intended or not, I can't help but feel that this otherwise strong track is hindered by not allowing listeners to connect fully with the song through its lyrics.
'Don't You Remember' is a heartfelt ballad, with Adele seeking the object of her affections to remember the reasons why we loved her. The track opens with an acoustic guitar refrain and builds up to cries of 'Don't you remember the reason you loved me'. Lyrically, this isn't far away from Meatloaf's 'Cry Over Me' on Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose, an album the writer would recommend.
'Set Fire to the Rain' returns to the sound found on 'Rolling in the Deep' and 'Rumour Has It', with a fierce beat taking the album to a new level compared to that found on '19'. It won't surprise anyone that this is a further song about heartbreak. This time about a relationship where the other person dominates, but yet doesn't reveal all - and ,of course, tracks the inevitable demise of the fore said relationship. It would be interesting to hear a track which steers clear of Adele's emotional ups and downs, although the honesty and simplicity of the lyrics does also make the song more accessible and allows the listener to feel what Adele feels.
'He Won't Go' begins with an R+B type beat and is scattered with the odd piano chord. This is, for me the weakest song on the album - perhaps as there is no hook or refrain which entices you to discover the meaning behind the song. It lacks something - there is neither the simple brilliance of the piano- led tracks on the album nor the sharp rhythm section of the others, accompanied by a bass refrain.
'Take it All' is a return to strong territory for Adele. This song falls firmly into the piano ballad camp. Again, a breakup of a relationship forms the key narrative of the track, with Adele urging her lover not to look back 'at this crumbling fool', suggesting that her (now ex) partner is perhaps not giving the relationship the opportunity it deserved - 'You're giving up so easily/I thought you loved me more than this'. This song is strong, both musically and lyrically without reaching the heights of similar tracks suck as 'Someone Like You' and 'Make You Feel My Love'.
'I'll Be Waiting' reminds me of Robbie Williams' 'Knutsford City Limits' for some reason. It has a certain funk and class about it, with the piano riff dominating and rolling over your ears with ease, before reaching a soft and fantastic crescendo in the chorus. This song is one of the highlights of the album with its feelgood tone. It speaks of growing up and, perhaps, moving onto something bigger and better. This moves away from the more sombre tones of other songs, moving onto a time where Adele will be waiting, but seemingly in a better place than ever before. The trumpet solo towards the end is belting too.
'One and Only' sees Adele 'thinking of your face' and how 'you're the only one that she wants'. There is a comparison to Pixie Lott's 'Cry Me Out' here, with a distinct 50s feel to this ballad, with the electric guitar adding a certain groove to the verse. This is, for me, one of the best tracks on the album, outside of the singles. It coheres and the bridge, unlike in 'Rumour Has It', fits. It finds a contrast with the tone of the rest of the song and lets the gospel choir come in and find a suitable crescendo, before returning to let Adele's voice, which has an incredible tone to it, to take us to the end of the track.
'Lovesong' isn't exactly a surprising title for a song in the context of the rest of '21'. The sound, however, is. We find a pair of duelling acoustic guitars which create a sound unheard on the rest of this album. In a strange sense, it feels like an acoustic version of Justin Timberlake's 'Cry Me a River'. (Note: I'm not looking to find these comparisons - they're just coming to me as I listen.). This, as with 'I'll be waiting', finds us with a definite positive tone to the song - Adele not regretting the demise of a relationship as in the early tracks on this album but, instead, speaking of how 'you' make her feel 'home', 'whole', 'young' and 'fun' again. This is another great track.
'Someone Like You' is a song which you must have heard already. Even if you hate music, TV, radio, all social mediums in the known universe, it will have been difficult to avoid this song. It's been used in adverts, in the background on TV shows, on the radio constantly and used unsparingly during this year's Comic Relief videos. Such wide use means it is hard to come at the song with a fresh perspective - indeed any readers will likely already have their own opinion on it. It is a beautiful tale of the end of a relationship. This track transcends the whole album and eclipses the other piano led tracks of the same vein. Adele's voice shines and brings with it a raw emotion which is rarely matched by other musicians.
21, all in all, is an album which may be heard in high regard, and will be considered as, pending a stellar effort from other artists, the album of 2011, and rightly so. Above, the criticisms I have made may perhaps be seen as nit picking, this being due to the quality of the album - 'He Won't Go' being the only song which feels unsatisfactory to some extent.
8.5/10
Buy 21 from Amazon mp3 here: 21 [+digital booklet]
Buy 21 from Amazon here: 21
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