My Amazon Reviews: Adele "21"

The Real Thing  
4 Out of 5 Stars

Adele rode in on the wave of white British Girls worshiping at the altar of Etta James and Dusty Springfield, and seems to be the one left standing after the initial landing. "21" finds Adele discovering her own personality (primarily through a busted relationship) and pours her soul into every space available. From the bridge-burning of the first hit "Rolling In The Deep" to the torch version of The Cure's "Lovesong," she has matured in two short years into a first class singer. She works out gospel in "Take It All" to a Tina Turner (ala Ike and Tina and the Ikettes) fire on "Rumor Has It."

The production ranges from the gentle and soft piano on "Turning Tables" to overblown - "Set Fire to The Rain" is way too compressed and comes off as screechy. It may be a case of too many cooks, as "21" boasts six different producers. I'd personally like to see Adele hole up with Rick Rubin (who gets one of the best performances out of "The One and Only") or Ryan Tedder, who also co-wrote a few of the songs, including "Rumor Has It." Overall, though, "21" has the air of a timeless record, just as easily digested now as it might be in a decade. If Adele can avoid falling into the trap of trying to be trendy, her approach to music making is going to serve up some classics.