Review Summary: "Let it be known, let it be known that I tried"
Adele’s fourth album, released after a significant hiatus, affirms her legacy by maturing her sound into something timeless.
30 is still firmly rooted in adult contemporary, however it takes cues from Goldfrapp and Amy Winehouse rather than Sam Smith or Ed Sheeran (except on “Can You Get It”, yikes). The production is all cinematic swells and jazzy accompaniments, with personal touches like spoken-word voicemails adding to the expertly-curated feel of these arrangements. It’s her most sonically interesting album since
19, but she could definitely push herself further in the future and finally create her
Back To Black.
Of course, it’s an Adele album and most people will be tuning in for the vocals. They are stunning as ever, and their beauty is only amplified by
30’s use of restraint. “Easy On Me” allows the magic of Adele’s falsetto to shine rather than having her immediately belt out the first chorus like on some previous lead singles. However, if a signature vocal showstopper is what you’re after, you’ll have to wait a whole 11 tracks. “To Be Loved” is an incredibly moving, gorgeously crescendoing ballad that thematically feels like the culmination of the album (it’s about divorce, if you haven’t heard from the press cycle), and vocally feels like the pinnacle of her career to date. If it’s any indication of things to come, I’m a lot more excited for Adele’s 30’s than her 20’s.
