Several years ago, my father told me he would pay full price to a movie in which Morgan Freeman sat down and read a phonebook for ninety minutes. While his presence in a movie doesn't necessarily mean it's good (
Red;
Nurse Betty), the man's voice is so captivating that he could literally read thousands of names, addresses, and phone numbers and I would be riveted. British artist
Adele is the Morgan Freeman of today's music world. Her voice has such feeling and depth that an acoustic rendition of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" would leave me in tears over the plight of the courageous, tiny spider that persevered through pouring rain and scorching sun to summit the awe-inspiring water spout.
While the pleasantly honest star is still growing as a songwriter, her voice rightfully draws comparisons to Aretha Franklin or Etta James, and is every bit as powerful as contemporary artists like Florence and the Machine. With her sophomore album, the wildly energetic star has shown growth in her sound.
21 features more driving rhythms, a delightful horn section, and a more decided R&B/Gospel feel. Lyrically, Adele sharpens her focus from general love and heartbreak to the disintegration of one particular relationship and her various moods and thoughts throughout that process. While her first album,
19, won two Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, her latest album builds on that success. In fact,
21 has held onto to the top spot in the
UK charts for six weeks and just this week, rose to number one in the
US charts as well. While the twenty two year old Adele still has room to improve as an artist, fans and critics can sit back and enjoy her latest album smiling and singing along with that God-given gift of a voice.
