The Earliest Bird: Top New Recorded Release 11-19-21 – 11-25-21, Adele’s “30” Reviewed
“Easy On Me” was an iffy “Hello” wannabe, and the rich man’s weather Adele” One Night Only” (here) was a tone deaf pissing on her working class roots special, but 30? Her latest album is a surprisingly strong collection of songs with nothing special lyrics but exquisite singing that stands as her best album so far. There isn’t a “Someone Like You” but there is a “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” -more than one, slews of ace songs, eight songs into the album and except for “Easy On Me” it is exquisite and easy going analog MOR ballads, and then there is three songs of very iffy pedigree and a somewhat disappointing finale. But this is Adele, and eight out of twelve songs are winners -66% success rate is well beyond the average pop album in the tank full 2021s.
The highlight is that eighth song , with an intersperse from the late (really late, he died in 1977) jazz pianist Erroll Garner, an ode to her new beau”All Night Parking” -a simply gorgeous song which Amy Winehouse would have smoked, Greg Kurstin co-produced, and there are more, and if you can get past the opening couplet of the opening song, “Strangers By Nature” is a piano based tribute to Judy Garland, the third song “My Little Love,” a sensual r&b track and that is odd as it is about her son and includes a taped conversation with her son and the horrendous “Mommy’s been having big feelings later” embarrassing confession to her kid AND IS STILL A GREAT TRACK.
While it is tough getting through those final quarter tracks, “Woman Like Me,” “Hold On” and worst song here (and new single), the tear-jerking “To Be Loved” until the final song, Adele’s claim of abstention from the love wars “Love Is A Game” which is emotionally Taylor Swift circa Speak Now and makes it on points.
It is a very strong set, six years gestating, and while 30 is an apply to fanbase for sure, the fanbase is huge and will come out for the latest chapter on an album that travels past the bathetic for once. Even if only just.
Grade: A-
