Adele

Adele: Should she give up?

A lot of hype has been put on the shoulders of young Adele Adkins. The BBC earmarked her as the one to watch for 2008 and she is lined up to receive an award that didn’t even exist a year ago, the Brit Critics’ Award.

The Critics’ award predicts talent who will make it big in the coming year; it seems like Adele has been destined for the big time.

Those familiar with her story may take all the hype with a pinch of cynicism. After all Adele did come from the London BRIT school of performing arts which counts Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash, Katie Melua, Leona Lewis and Luke from the Kooks among their graduates.

Adele’s debut album has been eagerly anticipated, her single Chasing Pavements has been high on the Radio 1 playlist for what seems like weeks.

She is most certainly a talent; her voice is soulful, bluesy and belies her years.

The comparisons with Amy Winehouse are inevitable, both girls are cool Londoners who lean heavily on black soul influences. In subject matter too, heartbreak is high on the agenda.

Where Adele differs is that she lacks Wino’s edge, her efforts while lush are radio friendly, citing Dusty Springfield and Etta James as influences.

It’s hard to fathom that one 19-year-old has had so much heartache but the theme runs through almost every track. Technically astonishing as Adele is, it’s difficult to believe she’s packed a lifetime of man woes into such a young age.

It’s easy enough on the ear and will probably sell in droves. Stand out tracks Daydreamer and Melt My Heart To Stone, are suitably polished thanks to excellent production and arrangement.

Can this album live up to the hype? Probably not.

It lacks an extra special ingredient, despite Wino’s faults, like all the great soulstresses we believe her when she sings of heartbreak and loss. With Adele’s BRIT school shepherding it all seems a bit cynical.

We say: Album of choice for soulless Barratt Home town dinner parties, file under Melua.

They say: ‘Her music breaks less ground than a pneumatic drill made from Plasticine’ – The Telegraph.

Best track: Adele was straight out of the blocks with stand-out track ‘Chasing Pavements.’

share this story: