Adele - 19

Teenager Adele has been causing a stir in the UK recently. But is her album any good? I gave my opinion in this week's Drum Media: ADELE
19

Don’t you just love the music biz? As soon as an artist becomes successful the hunt immediately begins to find a younger, better version, and consequently a 19-year-old from Brixton called Adele Atkins is currently being hailed as The New Amy Winehouse. Amazingly, the newcomer recently won a hastily invented “Critics Choice” Brit Award before her debut album had even been released, which may seem contrived but certainly got the cash registers ringing, much to the delight of industry bigwigs.

However, hidden beneath such cynical marketing and despite the unfairly elevated expectations that go hand-in-hand with being compared to everyone’s favourite bee-hived trashbag, 19 is an undeniably impressive, soulful record and Adele’s vocal is rich, dexterous and extraordinarily powerful [yet notably different from Winehouse’s].

Current single Chasing Pavements offers a glorious arms-aloft chorus, while My Same gives a nod to Peggy Lee’s Fever. Elsewhere, a cover of Bob Dylan’s Make You Feel My Love is sweet, and Melt My Heart To Stone perfectly showcases Adele’s outstanding vocal.

Generally though, 19 plays it a little too safe. Occasionally it feels lyrically undeveloped and musically M.O.R, yet the sheer magnificence of that voice ensures that things never become too bland.

If age and experience bring an edge to Adele’s lyrics and she avoids being guided down the path of M.O.R. soul blandness [after all, the last thing the world needs is another Joss Stone] then she has the potential to be a truly remarkable artist. As it stands, 19 is certainly a good starting point.