NEW RELEASE: 30 - Adele

 Ah, the great, grand Adele. She graced us first with "Chasing Pavements" and has gone on to become a staple to adult contemporary. Grandiose ballads, a real human face behind them. This era somewhat changed that. Upon stage, it feels she has taken far more of a larger than life diva role. I have not enjoyed this change much. Nevertheless, it would be a joke to not take a moment to hear and review 30 in its entirety. An album considered her "therapy" after a divorce, I am expecting something somewhat gut wrenching at some point. Hopefully more exciting than the lead single which I personally cannot stand.

The album begins with "Strangers by Nature", a soft introduction. I love the instrumental aspect to the song, but the rest of it does not really grab me at all.

I think it is obvious above my feelings on "Easy on Me". The song seems immature and ridiculous coming from someone 30 years of age at this point. It certainly was not the promoted cry over your divorce ballad it was intended to be. The critics are likely raving about this strictly because the name Adele is attached to it. The chorus falsetto is beyond annoying and I could live without it the rest of my days. 

"My Little Love" lyrically is pretty powerful. A song to her child now struck with divorced parents, something she was trying to keep away. The spoken interludes really take you out of the song though and ruin it. On the chorus I do not like the light background vocaling either. 

"Cry Your Heart Out" sounds like she was going for a soul/pop sound and it doesn't fit her at all. The vocals here just become grating and the song is unoriginal at best.

"Oh My God" is the first song that even appeals to me slightly, but it is lifeless and I wouldn't return to it. It doesn't fit her at all still. I'm still waiting for that therapeutic song I am supposed to cry over my heartbreak to....

"Can I Get It" takes a different direction but I like this track. It is the first one that something didn't irritate me and she sounded like she meant what she was saying. Apparently hoping to find real romance and not just casual makeout sessions, the song expresses hoping this person will give it to her.

My expectations of a song called "I Drink Wine" are pretty low in general. It is okay, but I feel like the melody mixed with the vocals is extremely choppy and does not grab me at all.

"All Night Parking" is an album interlude with Erroll Garner, and frankly she shifts in that soul/pop vein again and I am not into it. 

"Woman Like Me" again struggles with a melody feeling a bit mismatched with the emotion she is trying to convey. It seems something more fitting for a romance track, but it is more a breakup track.

"Hold On" is meant to be emotional but it did not grab me at all. This album feels sung pretty but absolutely lifeless. I am used to her bombastic emotional vocals coming through for the messaging. 

"To Be Loved" made me realize she can in fact still be emotional. It feels like she is speaking directly to someone, in this case from interviews it is her absent father. 

The album closes with "Love is a Game", certainly, because my love for Adele's prior work and singles seems to have been a game if this is the new musical direction she is going. There is more to music and performance than looking pretty and having a big voice. 

Lyricism: 6/10 - Not all lyrics are bad. I have heard better from her.

Music: 3/10 - Most of it does not fit the lyrics, singing, or accentuates the lifelessness.

Overall: 4/10 - This is by far the worst work Adele has shown to me. Let's not lie to ourselves. Play 21 and 25 or even 19 again, and feel how absolutely lifeless this supposed emotional body of work is. If she meant to show me she was dead inside after her divorce, I guess she did a good job. I won't return to this album. I am actually disappointed. She usually wows me with at least one song. No song gave a wow factor at all.