Review Summary: A consolidation of superstardom rather than a step forward.
With
"21" Adele reached a level of success that is almost bound to define how her career would develop from that point on. Over 20 million records sold, worldwide chart hits - including three US no. 1 singles - and the position as the saviour of physical record sales. All of that means that the focus, when judging her future work, will inevitably shift from the artistical value to her commercial impact. Whatever she does next, her main task is to please the masses more than anything else. It happened before, especially to quite a lot of solo artists, whether it's Elvis, the leading women of the Motown wave or Michael Jackson and Phil Collins. Both her safe, everything but surprising take at a James Bond theme with
Skyfall and the hype preceding her comeback and the new single
Hello already indicated that she will have to deal with that problem, the fact that she is there to sell, not to excel.
"25" does little to break out of that.
That doesn't mean it turned out awful, but that Adele shies away from any experimentation whatsoever and instead sticks to her signature sound. It's still polished, piano-driven soul-pop built on stripped-down, yet lush arrangements in a quite old-fashioned style. Whether that is boring and flat or just necessary understatement to offer the space her voice needs to shine is up to interpretation. But without any doubt Adele's music was always her show. It was her job to make the best out of the songs and what she was capable to do with her vocal chords determined the success of most her work. Hardly any other modern pop artists was or is willing to focus so much on that one aspect and rely almost completely on it. And for hardly any other major pop artist it would seem as justified to do so as it does for Adele. At times
"25" shows her at her best, her most focused and refined yet, offering amazing performances in songs such as
Hello,
Remedy or
When We Were Young. Relying less on the prevalent vibrato of her earlier days, her performances exude a certain lightness and ease that set her third album apart from
"21", offering a less burdened and dark atmosphere.
Musically the changes are subtle at best.
Hello set the tone for a mere continuation of what brought her to the top. The predominant elements are still piano chords that define much of the musical backing, gently accentuating the vocals rather than offering memorable hooks. Nothing groundbreaking, but the few stellar moments the LP has to offer show that it can still work remarkably well. Especially the middle section of the album is filled with some of her best songs so far. While
I Miss You builds on the pounding drums reminiscent of
Rumour Has It,
Water Under The Bridge marks a great nod to both the Motown and Disco era. Both feel natural, precisely arranged, yet not lifeless or cold, mostly due to great interplay between Adele and her backing vocalists, who give these songs even more of a 60's feel.
Slowly but surely the same problems as with her last records emerge though. The lack of variation in her sound makes the second half a somewhat tedious listen, one that is just too much of the same old formula everyone is so familiar with by now. While most of the remaining songs aren’t without some charm, neither the acoustic
Million Years Ago, featuring only Adele's vocals and light plucking, nor Bruno Mars as a co-writer for
All I Ask add much to a record that already played all its aces.
The record's main problem might be the lack of any lyrical or emotional substance.
"21" succeeded through its genuine hurt and an emotional struggle, which was properly reflected musically and especially in Adele's powerful performances.
"25" on the other hand is much more positive, defined by nostalgia and a romantic, yet resentful look at her past. That might be just as genuine, but it's obviously not the ideal foundation for captivating, maybe even touching songs. Apart from
Remedy and maybe
Hello there's no room for grand emotions, but rather for a big show. The long list of additional songwriters only adds to that and it's everything but a surprise that her work with Max Martin and Shellback, the misplaced and overall ill-conceived up-tempo track
Send My Love (To Your New Love), turned out to be an unpleasant low point.
Nevertheless these eleven songs add up to a well-crafted, if - especially compared to its predecessor - somewhat underwhelming and shallow pop record. Adele has obviously found her musical niche and odds are she won't sacrifice that comfortable position and her overwhelming, by now record-breaking success for bold experimentation for quite a few years. Taking that into consideration,
"25" feels like a consolidation of what she has achieved so far more than anything else. And it's a consolidation that shows her at her best sometimes, particularly concerning her vocals, at her most predictable and safe at others.
Recommended tracks:
- Hello
- Remedy
- Water Under The Bridge
