Drops: Adele's powerful '21'

By GLENN GAMBOAglenn.gamboa@newsday.comFebruary 18, 2011

The one-two punch that opens Adele's "21" (XL/Columbia) is so brilliant and powerful that it leaves you dazed and blissful and rushing to hear it again.

"Rolling in the Deep" kicks things off with the Grammy-winning Brit's remodeling of the blues, taking classic blues verses and an acoustic guitar and welding it to a glorious thud and a chorus of soaring soul. It shows off the beauty in her voice, but also its power. The fury of a scorned Adele is truly a marvel, able to overturn a raft of Duffys and inspire chants of "Amy who?"

Somehow, "Rumour Has It" is even more stunning, potent enough to make legions of critics re-evaluate their feelings about OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder. Yes, Tedder co-wrote the stomping, snarling slice of revved-up soul with Adele, but it's virtually unrecognizable from the rest of his catalog, it's so swaggering and sassy. Adele's vocals command attention over a pounding backbeat and a flurry of soul claps, as if the Queen of Soul herself had been reincarnated into a 21-year-old British girl.

The rest of "21" is good, but suffers by comparison. As she showed on her debut "19," Adele loves to belt out a ballad, and "Turning Tables" and "Take It All" are certainly nice additions to her repertoire, while her delicate, Brazilian take on The Cure's "Lovesong" is a sweet surprise. However, "21's" amazing start shows she's capable of so much more.