When Adele's debut single hit the airwaves, it propagated ripples of excitement throughout the industry. Adele was that unique blend of blue-eyed soul with a pinch of pop and a dash of blues. Her voice possessed this power, a resoundingly fruitful sound that could own an acoustic performance by her vocal acrobatics alone, yet reserved enough to know what instrumental would appropriately accent her abilities. While her debut album 19 had its faults, it functioned as a springboard from which she could ascend into a musical euphoria for her sophomore effort. But is 21 the musical euphoria it could possibly be?
For the most part it is. Adele's 21, a title that reflects the age of the Londoner when her first album was released and extends the age-specific theme of the album's content, is equal parts strength and vulnerability that reveals both the positives and negatives of being a 20-something-year-old woman. The album opens up with one of the most vocally and instrumentally powerful power-ballads in the past few years as "Rolling In The Deep" introduces the singer's new album to the listener. It opens with fast-paced guitar chords, simulating a pulsating heart that is perhaps indicative of the excitement and emotional roller-coaster associated with decaying love. She is dumbfounded by what their relationship might have entailed but yet disappointed that those possibilities have fallen by the wayside. It is lyrically vulnerable, but this lyrical weakness is juxtaposed against the astounding strength of the instrumental and the vocally hypnotizing chorus.
"Rolling In The Deep" is steeped deeply in its 60s feel, which is quickly matched with "Rumour Has It," a far more retro-styled pop ballad that takes the singer to another dimension of retrospection. Her vulnerability is more apparent than ever on this track, admitting her faults yet challenging her lover to come to terms with what he thinks he wants and what he really needs. "Sure, she's got it all/But, baby, is that really what you want?," she croons, hoping true love emerges from this tug-o-war between the ephemera of fleeting passion and the fixity of enduring love.
What this album does is test the extent of love, challenging what a women (or love-participant, if you will) will deal with, what one will try to fight for, and what one is willing to compromise for the sake of long-lasting happiness. The piano laced "Turning Tables" further emphasizes the vulnerability of early-20s love, but adds an epiphany of discovering what is worthy of sacrificing dignity for the sake of love and those moments in which preserving ones integrity is far-more meaningful. It marks the dichotomy of the album, where love functions as a means of happiness and where love functions as a means for heartache.
The album's peak moments are those in which the protagonist is the stereotypically scorned lover, where some of the most poetic and complimentary instrumentals take control of the direction of the album. Adele's invocation of repeated episodes of taking mistaken examples of semi-love as the "real deal" reveals both where she as a person and songwriter needs more diversity. There are some songs of heartbreak that leave the listener questioning who is to blame. Adele has that charm that leaves you sympathetic towards her, yet there are moments in which the singer becomes redundant, reiterating the tribulations of love while forgoing the long-term benefits that come with reassuring passion. "Set Fire To Rain" and "I'll Be Waiting" emphasize love and what it represents, even if the latter song deals with the final moments of dying love.
21 is Adele's declaration that she has the vocal talents to make songs about love reflective of the passion behind the emotion. But the moments of sheer wallowing in depressive states very often compromises the dynamism of an Adele album. She is clearly a vocal gem that can carry a tune unlike most others in today's music scene. What remains to be seen is if Adele can maintain her musical prowess for her upcoming albums, when the personal challenges she faces revert away from the perils of love and towards the variety of adult themes typical for a singer of her lyrical and vocal abilities. Regardless, this album has the charisma to keep Adele very present in the minds of most music consumers and that alone is worthy of profound adulation.
RATING: Adele 21: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (8/10)
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