Adele - 19

19 (2008, XL Recordings) Adele's first studio album. ***1/2

The rumors of Adele's voice have gotten so bad that when the name is mentioned, folks who have never even heard any of her songs ask, "Oh yes, isn't that the bird that sounds like Amy Winehouse?" To a degree it's true; Adele's voice is reminiscent of Winehouse, but Adele's doesn't have the growl. Instead, her voice sounds a bit more pure, and, as a result, a bit more mainstream. Namely, it's not as good as Winehouse, but that's not who she's supposed to be.

At the album's start, Adele appears to be nothing more than an acoustic Winehouse, with only her voice and guitar providing the sounds. "Daydreamer" proves to be a great starting point and is one of the best cuts here. It isn't until "Chasing Pavements" where things really kick in, acting as an overtly obvious single, complete with Mark Ronson's signature production - somewhat similar to that of Phil Spector. The album is a real pleasure to listen to - in fact, there are many prime tunes here, such as the vintage-pop of "Cold Shoulder," the slow, sultry "Crazy for You," the pleading "Melt My Heart to Stone," or the wrenching piano ballad "Make You Feel My Love." Despite these numbers - a few of which are really incredible - there are still a handful of duds that weigh the album down, such as the oddly placed "First Love," or the entire first half of "Tired" (which, consequently, turns into a beautiful song for about thirty seconds).

Regardless, she's far better than the run-of-the-mill female singer-songwriters that plague today's music market. No doubt that she will be back with another batch, and as long as she sticks with Mark Ronson - whose production absolutely shines and even saves a few would-be B-side type songs - things can only get better. I hope. (Daydreamer, Crazy For You, Melt My Heart to Stone)