19

iTunes Review

Adele Adkins was showered with critical huzzahs and walked away with an armful of awards after her hit debut album 19 appeared in the summer of 2008. Adele displays a formidable talent as a vocalist, underplaying her lines with insinuating feints and seductive shadings. There are elements of acoustic folk and coffeehouse jazz as well as R&B in these tracks, heard in airy, playful numbes like “Daydreamer” and “Crazy for You.” Adele’s delicately girlish vocal on “First Love” contrasts with her whiskey-dipped tones on “Right as Rain.” But what grabs the listener most are her soul queen moves, tossed off with a sultry flair that can be mesmerizing. The string-drenched “Cold Shoulder” and the brooding “Melt My Heart to Stone” show off her extraordinary subtlety and control. As for the ballads, they are all but impeccable — “Hometown Glory” and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” ache with inner fire. A-list producers Mark Ronson and Eg White help make 19 a sonically rich and variegate experience. But in the end, it’s Adele’s show, and she holds the spotlight with undeniable authority.