Adele: 19
Friday, 25 Jan 2008 17:05
Adele - wise beyond her years.
XL Recordings, out January 28th.
In a nutshell…
Delicately wrapped dynamite.
What's it all about?
19 is the debut album from north London-born chanteuse Adele Adkins, whose latest single Chasing Pavements is all over the airwaves. The LP is awash with 12 stunning jazz-pop numbers delivered in warm, breathy bursts by the 19-year-old singer-songwriter.
Who's it by
Born in Tottenham, raised in Brixton and a former pupil of the same Croydon performing arts school that boasts Amy Winehouse and Kate Nash among its alumni, Adele has an exceptional voice, wise beyond her years, oozing the smoky sexiness of Etta James and Billie Holiday.
Adele, whose influences also include acts as diverse as Bjork, the Cure and Jeff Buckley, recently topped the BBC's annual poll of new talent. She's also in the running for the Brits Critics’ Choice Award on February 20th.
Despite the acclaim, Adele is a laidback and accessible soul, as she rides the nu-jazz wave.
As an example…
"When the rain is blowing in your face/And the whole world is on your case/I could offer you a warm embrace/To make you feel my love." – Make You Feel My Love
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Hell, yes! Adele distils the qualities of all the great female jazz singers into a thoroughly modern brew, and there's no doubting her appeal which ought to translate into Grammy recognition at the earliest opportunity.
What the others say
"Totally, absolutely beautiful." – NME.
"A star is born." – Sunday Times.
So is it any good?
Adele's 19 is just what the doctor ordered – sumptuous one moment then fragile the next, this is an album dripping with beauty and class. Adele's voice caresses and inspires, and is superbly supplemented by piano, guitar and glorious orchestration.
Radio-friendly Chasing Pavements is a tasty appetiser that leads on to delicacies such as Make You Feel My Love, with its echoes of Elkie Brooks, and Tired which sends shivers down your spine thanks to bittersweet vocals before the song magnificently launches into Massive Attack mode.
19 is music for when a rainbow cuts through the murk of a rainy day, or when your heart feels a chill on a warm summer afternoon.
Between Duffy and Adele, the popular end of jazz is in safe hands, and you can sense the ghosts of Billie Holiday and Dusty Springfield smiling approvingly, as will you as you listen to 19 time and again.
10 /10
Lee Davis
Check out the video for Chasing Pavements here at inthenews.co.uk.
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