Grade: B
Mick Côté, Staff Contributor
Adele is the latest artist to write about a feeling known to many: heartache. After dealing through a reportedly hard breakup, the singer penned down her raw emotions and brought them in to the studio.
The result is undoubtedly a solid piece of work. She carries the listener through the hardships of her breakup. From the vengefulness of “Rolling in the Deep”, her first single, to the coming-to-terms in “Someone Like You,” the British songstress brings a nice flow to the record.
The album’s third and fourth tracks, “Turning Tables” and “Set Fire to the Rain,” on the other hand, show great potential and vocal control. Both songs could easily surpass “Rolling in the Deep” in terms of appeal.
21 is strong and very concise, but not necessarily impressive. The lyrics are deep, the music is grand but some tracks sometimes feel restrained.
After five strong tracks, “He Won’t Go”, the album’s midway point, seems to break the record’s flow. Adele’s voice, which soars through most songs up to this point, sounds limited.
Thankfully, “I’ll Be Waiting” comes to the rescue with a good rhythm and a strong delivery. The song, full of denial and commitment to her past relationship, offers a great change in atmosphere and leads the way to songs about acceptance.
21 touches on soft mixes of blues, jazz and gospel. The heavy presence of piano melodies ties most of the album together and her backup singers do a fantastic job at enhancing the record’s musical depth.
Adele does not fall short in delivery, nor does she lose grasp of the album’s flow. The only downfall to the record is the consistency. Though many would think that variety is necessary to a set-list, one could argue that carrying on with up-beat tracks and diva-esque zeal could have carried the album even further.
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