Adele - 21

The second album from Adele, called '21'. Most of the album was made in Malibu with the legendary Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, Jay Z, Red Hot Chilli Peppers) and back in Kensal Rise in London with Paul Epworth (Plan B, Bloc Party, Florence & the Machine).

'21' is the follow up to adele's award winning debut album '19'. Both albums are named after her age at the time the songs were written. This album is richer and blusier in feel, more likely to strip down to rolling piano and gospel vocals than crank up the flashy orchestration and skittish breakbeats.

Standouts are the dramatic 'Rolling in the Deep' which combines a doomy pulse with delicious 60's girl group harmonies, 'Rumour has it' with 'Be my Baby' percussion, Elton John piano, buckets of reverb and a dizzy disco vocal loop and a earthy and still cover of the cure's 'Lovesong'. The album is a step up as significant as Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black'.

The follow-up to the English singer-songwriter's critically acclaimed debut '19'. Produced by, amongst others, Rick Rubin and Paul Epworth, the record went platinum after just four days and includes the hit singles 'Rolling in the Deep', 'Someone Like You' and 'Set Fire to the Rain'.

The last few years have seen those who started strongly become mightily unstuck on their sophomore efforts. For every Lily Allen there’s been a Kate Nash or a Duffy – the latter’s comeback, Endlessly, seems to have fallen on significantly fewer ears than the 2.8 million who liked her debut – so it’s a treat to hear that no such problems beset 21. It really is so marvellous, you’re almost compelled to stand up and applaud it after the first listen.

With a top-notch production team behind the album, every track is a highlight. The single, Rolling in the Deep, is a modern soul stomper about an errant ex; the literally banging Rumour Has It channels the avenging rock‘n’roll soul of Wanda Jackson; there’s a fine, mellow, acoustic bossa nova-y take on The Cure’s Lovesong. Don’t You Remember is a classically styled ballad, which feels like the sort of tune you’ve known all your life – many are certain to bawl along to it the next time their hearts are broken; and the blues-bruised I’ll Be Waiting could’ve come from any Willie Mitchell-produced southern soul session. Final track Someone Like You, just voice and piano, is an actual thing of beauty, placing the listener in one of those moments where you feel you’re in the presence of a future standard. You can imagine it being both honked through by talent show contestants and transcended by veterans alike.