As Paul Hardcastle once repeatedly reminded us, in World War II the average age of a combat solider was 26 – but in Vietnam, it was 19. From the sounds of this debut album, soulful South Londoner teenager Adele Adkins has been in the wars, too, but, fortunately enough, only those of the romantic kind.
Each and every one of the 12 tracks here deals with lust, heartbreak or the mushy bits in between. Just look at her titles – ‘Crazy For You’, ‘First Love, ‘Melt My Heart To Stone’, ‘Make You Feel My Love’, etc.
“I love it when boys are horrible to me, when they turn up six hours late or don’t phone – I love the drama,” she told the Guardian recently, maintaining that she actually can’t write without said “drama.”
So does the pop universe really need another spicy young English songstress sassily chronicling the emotional rollercoaster ride that is teenage love? Well, with Lily Allen up the duff, and Amy Winehouse seeming inevitably destined for rehab, maybe it does.
Incidentally, speaking of Winehouse, Adele is a fellow graduate of the Brit School, the Croydon performing arts college that seems to have become a finishing academy for the current crop of mainstream UK pop stars (other alumni include Kate Nash and Lynden David Hall).
Signed to hip indie label XL Recordings (home to Radiohead, Dizzee Rascal and the White Stripes), she certainly seems destined for similar success this year. Last June, on the strength of an impressive demo, she became one of the first ever artists to appear on Later... with Jools Holland before even releasing a record.
Earlier this month, a BBC poll of 150 music critics and industry figures named her the ‘Sound of 2008’. Although she’s only released one single to date, her MySpace has already clocked well over 900,000 visits, and lists influences as diverse as Etta James, Billie Holiday, The Cure, The Cranberries, Billy Bragg and Cyndi Lauper.
Proceedings open with the mellow ‘Daydreamer’ – just a softly plucked guitar and Adele’s distinctive voice. The song was apparently inspired by a bi-sexual ex-boyfriend: “Daydreamer/sitting on the seat/soaking up the sun/he is a real lover/making up the past/and feeling up his girl/like he’s never felt her figure before/A jaw-dropper/looks good when he walks he is the subject of their talk/He would be hard to chase/but good to catch/and he could change the world with his hands behind his back.”
‘Best For Last’ actually comes second, and is a little more ballsy – a contemptuous ‘fuck you’ to an ill-chosen rebound lover. Third song ‘Chasing Pavements’ is guaranteed to be a hit when it’s released as a single this week: “I’ve made up my mind/don’t need to think it over/if I’m wrong I am right/Don’t need to look no further/ this ain’t lust/I know this is love/but if I tell the world/I’ll never say enough/Cause it was not said to you/And that’s exactly what I need to do/If I’m in love with you.”
And on it goes. When it’s not swinging, her mood is mostly downbeat, melancholy and soulful. Her greatest asset is her smoky voice, reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald with a pop sensibility. Musically, it’s an extremely polished and well produced affair, but never once surprises. Adele sounds a little more damaged and world weary than she probably should by the tender age of 19, but that’s between her and her therapist.
There’s nothing to knock, really. This is basically wine bar music for the broken-hearted and if you like that kind of thing, 19 will be right up your street. Personally, I’ll be sticking with Cohen and Fitzgerald to soundtrack my own maudlin moments, but then, Adele’s only starting out and may yet mature into a talent that’ll stand up alongside the enduring greats.