19

Such a beautifully powerful surprise, Adele's debut album `19' is still lingering on my skin days after listening to it for the first time. Yes, like everyone else I have heard `Chasing Pavements', but it was a brilliantly sung forgettable song for me. It just didn't have this "YOU MUST BUY MY ALBUM" quality about it. All this `Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash' comparisons got me interested, simply because I consider `Back to Black' and `Made of Bricks' to be two of the best albums I own. Eventually, it was a nice MP3 sale on this site that urged me to actually purchase the album, and THANK GOD FOR THAT! Honestly, I would have paid $20 for this. First of all, I want to say that Adele really does sound like a more polished version of Kate Nash. I adore Nash and consider her one of the most talented artists we have working today (hurry up with that sophomore album!) but Adele's vocals are superior (even if I still prefer the artistry surrounding Nash's brilliant debut album). There is a crispness about Adele's voice that folds into the flaws, the rasp that permeates and creates that luscious jazz feel to her album. Her voice leaves me in awe. Right from the very beginning, all the way to the very end, Adele keeps my attention, deservedly so. `Daydreamer' was a stunning way to open the album. It is simple, sure, but it establishes her as a vocal act. Her voice shines so beautifully, bouncing through the repetitious musical arrangement and cutesy lyrics with a real attention grabbing authenticity. The closing track, `Hometown Glory', instantly rests heavy on your heart. Everything about the song is so moving, from the heartfelt lyrics to the piano laden musical arrangement (aching of longing) to Adele's glorious vocal presence. These two tracks are beautiful bookends to this beautiful album. Some of my favorite tracks on the album are the ones that lend a spunky edge to Adele. Songs like `Cold Shoulder', `My Same' and `Tired' have a cheeky hip-hop influence that meshes marvelously with her smoky jazz scene aesthetic. `Cold Shoulder' may be my favorite track on the album. It has such an infectious vibe, it is instantly gravitational. The way her voice cracks ever so slightly on the chorus is so earnest and endearing. The slinky vibe of `My Same' is equally as infectious. The lyrical content (updated version of `Opposites Attract', nearly) is fun, fresh and honest (in a playful way). `Tired' is one of the songs that automatically calls Kate Nash to me. I could see Nash singing this song (maybe that's why I LOVE it so much). `Right as Rain' feels like an Amy Winehouse song, and Adele pulls it off marvelously. She just really has the genre wrapped around her finger. `Best for Last' runs right off of `Daydreamer' beautifully. It has that simple opening that picks up pace at about 40 seconds in. Adele establishes her musical stylings on this track, and jump starts the rest of the album. Like I said, `Chasing Pavements' is a beautifully sung track, but it still doesn't `hit me' like it has so many others. It is probably my least favorite track on the album (which says a lot for the album, since the song is still very good). The lullaby feel to `First Love' is brilliantly used. I just love the delicacy of the musical arrangement, for it lends itself marvelously to Adele's vocals. Adele's take on `Make You Feel My Love' is beautiful, if a little conventional. It doesn't have a spark that causes it to stand out, but the song is still beautiful, and her vocals are outstanding. `Melt My Heart to Stone', for me, is a more affective ballad. I love the lyrical structure, and her voice dances around the words so earnestly. `Crazy for You' has a simple structure, but Adele's complex vocal styling adds so many layers to this track. It's easily one of the best on the album, for it captures a style ages old but brings a modern feel to it. Since I like to do this, I'll go ahead and list the tracks from my favorite to least favorite: 1) Cold Shoulder 2) Tired 3) Melt My Heart to Stone 4) Crazy for You 5) My Same 6) Hometown Glory 7) Daydreamer 8) First Love 9) Right as Rain 10) Best for Last 11) Make You Feel My Love 12) Chasing Pavements In the end, this is one of the best albums I've heard in a long time, and can rest next to `Made of Bricks' and `Back to Black' as one of the best albums I own.

Note: I also wrote this on iTunes so don't think I stole it or anything, LOL! Adeles don't come around every day you know. She is a force to be reckoned with right now in the music industry being a great singer, a very solid songwriter and having knowledge on playing a few instruments herself. Right now in late 2011 everyone is rightfully raving about her new album that has brilliantly sold 10 million copies worldwide IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR!!! Flat out astounding if I do say so myself. Back in 2005, most people considered Mariah's "The Emancipation Of Mimi" her comeback album (it is great, BTW) but it took YEARS to get those same sales. Must I say again that Adele did it in less than a YEAR??! 2005 was even a much better time for music than it is now in our stagnant times for quality music and poor sales for even seasoned verterans. But now let's talk about the album itself. All in all, to shortly describe the record would be to say it's minimally produced with bits of tinkering going on to make it just fancy enough. But the package is made complete with solid songwriting and the gorgeous, R&B-tinged vocals Adele hosts. Some songs are acoustically done, some are R&B-flavored and soulful and others are just offbeat. "Right As Rain" which pulls all the right stops is by far my favorite (let the song build and then listen to the end vocal work) but other excellent tracks are "Melt My Heart To Stone", "Daydreamer" and "Best For Last". All the tracks are in some way good but "My Same" being the odd man out is slightly average because of the vocal arrangement although I get the sentiment of the lyrics. 4.5 stars. DOWNLOAD: "Right As Rain" "Best For Last" "Hometown Glory" "Daydreamer" & "Tired"

Hi, I discovered Adele by listening to my local public radio online, KCRW, which streams Eclectic 24, a remarkable radio station giving the public a rare opportunity to hear artists & music we may never be exposed to. I am blown away with Adele, her emotion, vocal control, flawless enunciation, and raw feelings which come across strongly on most of this CD. I haven't researched her much yet, but have to believe she does at least some of her own writing & composing. Several songs have only one or two instruments, but is works so well, her voice is so powerful, but almost delicate at the same time. She carries the melody effortlessly, with sensitivity & character, I feel she's lived what she sings about. The words strike that rare balance between a powerful, expressive message, with a straight forward delivery, true poetry. From the soft & tender Melt My Heart to Stone, to the kickass beat of Right as Rain, (I can't sit still during this tune), to the amazing Daydreamer, which pulls hard at my heart. Adele has definitely become one of my all time favorite artists. ss

Iconic Debut Album!!!

If you have several personalities, everyone will probably like at least one, or some of them, right? This must be the theory applied by Adele and her collaborators when choosing the material and production for these 12 tracks. Avoiding the stylistic consistency of Duffy's "Rockferry" and Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" (Adele's 2 UK soul sisters), they opted for an eclectic variety which left me feeling, after hearing it for the first time, that it was the oddest album I had ever heard. I want to say right off that Adele's talent is not in question here. She has a strong, smoky, supple voice, and she wrote or co-wrote most of the songs on the album, so she's got the goods. It was the lack of consistency that threw me at first, until I stopped expecting it and just listened to what was there. I don't care for the first track, "Daydreamer". Not at all. I find it too soft and mellow, devoid of any spark. Thankfully, it only gets better from there. The next one, "Best For Last", sounds a little like what a lounge singer might sing. I like that. Then, with "Chasing Pavements", we get something in the realm of normal pop music. It resembles the retro style Duffy has cultivated. "Cold Shoulder", grounded by a basic hip-hop beat and decorated with very inventive vocals and production, is one of the best tracks. "Melt My Heart to Stone" has the general feel and spirit of Macy Gray's "I Try". In "First Love", Adele's vocal blends sweetly with the accompaniment of what can only be (in my head, anyway) a humongous music-box. "Right As Rain" and "My Same" abound in energy and would probably delight a Vegas audience. Adele sings Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" better than anyone I have heard; her sincerity of feeling for the song is very evident. I think "Tired" could probably be a hit for the current Duchess of Pop, Fergie. And finally, I like "Hometown Glory" for its solid, thick piano sound and the cultural/political implications in its lyrics. I hope I have given you some idea of this CD's variety. Adele shows a lot of promise. She has proven that she can sing just about anything and do it justice. But I feel that for long-term success, she needs to narrow her focus a little and "define" herself a little, as they say on American Idol. Otherwise, all of those different voices might just blur in people's minds and make her too vague to remember.

Adele is one of my favorite performers. Her voice is soft yet powerful. Her storytelling through lyrics is just so inspirational. I am collecting all of her albums; they are just wonderful.

Excellent music

I purchased this CD after seeing her on 'Ellen' and have listened to it several times. Like an interesting and intricate movie, the more you listen the more you hear. The pieces that first appear simple become multi-dimensional - first because of her clear and sweet-yet-gutsy voice - but also because you can't put a name to her style. She is a definite throwback to the mid 60s a la Petula Clark, but close your eyes and she's got soulful and earthy qualities. Hard to describe but whatever it is, it is a joy to listen to. She doesn't over-play her strong voice, she doesn't push notes out or put unnecessary edges or endings in her work - the trademark of someone confident in her gift and knows who she is as a singer. Take yourself out of these days of screaming vocalists and 120 piece orchestras and Elvis-endings and go back to a time when a beautiful voice, originality and easiness on the eyes was enough.