Adele
's 2009 debut album,
19
, was a Grammy-winning smash hit that revealed the British singer/songwriter's knack for bittersweet soul and folk-infused love songs that brought to mind an infectious mix of
Dusty Springfield
and
Terry Callier
. The album earned her a ton of fans, and interest was high for the inevitable follow-up. In many ways, her sophomore album, the similarly age-appropriate-titled
21
, is a continuation of the sounds and themes
was working with on
. She is still the bluesy pop diva with a singer/songwriter's soul and seemingly bottomless capacity for heartbreak. The best thing the album does is to showcase
's titanic vocal ability, which -- more than a few times on
-- is simply spine-tingling. Last time around we got the gauzy,
Callier-esque
folk-soul ballad
"Daydreamer"
to slowly draw us into the album; here,
immediately injects us with the propulsive gospel fever-blues anthem
"Rolling in the Deep."
While the track certainly owes a heavy debt to the punk-blues of
Beth Ditto
the Gossip
, it is also ridiculously sexy and one of the best singles of any decade. Elsewhere, we get tracks like the blues-inflected
Ryan Tedder
co-write
"Rumour Has It"
and the old-school-style soul cut
"He Won't Go,"
which are terrifically catchy, booty-shaking numbers and exactly the kind of songs you want and expect from
. Similarly enthralling is the centerpiece of the album, the mega-ballad showstopper
"Take It All."
Co-written by her
"Chasing Pavements"
partner
Francis White
, the song begins with
proclaiming "Didn't I give it all?" Delivered starkly at first with
set against simple piano accompaniment and later backed by a gospel choir, it's an instant-classic sort of song in the tradition of
"The Rose,"
"And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going,"
"All by Myself"
that could stand over the years as a career landmark for the singer and a cathartic moment for fans who identify with their idol's Pyrrhic lovelorn persona. Ultimately,
does give us her all on
, and for now that is enough. ~ Matt Collar