Artist Profile: Adele
I became very familiar with Adele as a result of interning at XL this summer. Not only was I able to hear the finished versions of many of her album tracks there - a blessing and a curse, as the wait to the point where I could actually have the songs has been interminable - but she was also in the office all the time, chainsmoking at the computers and merrily socializing with anyone and everyone, usually in the company of her mate Jack Penate. Her and Penate, along with Cajun Dance Party, are part of the new class of breadwinning XL signings for 2007 that have the label set for truly massive success in late ‘07 and 2008, and the trio of artists were all among Britain’s most hotly pursued acts before choosing to sign on with the esteemed Notting Hill-based imprint. Adele (full name: Adele Adkins), however, just might be the most talented of the bunch.
Alright, listen: I know I’m prone to hyperbole, but when I say Adele has one of the single best voices I’ve ever heard I’m not even close to exaggerating. It’s everything you could want it to be: powerful, soulful, nuanced and developed far beyond her years. A product of the Brit School, which counts both Kate Nash and Amy Winehouse among recent alumni, Ms. Adkins was actually discovered after industry heads came across the song she wrote for her final project in a music course. Titled “My Same”, it’s still available for free download from the school website, but it’s nothing more than an initial taste of the brilliance to come in her later recordings.
MP3: “My Same” - Adele
Signed to XL within a year of graduation on the strength of only three tracks, she’s been writing and recording ever since and her debut is due out early next year, with debut single “Hometown Glory” out next week on limited edition vinyl as the first release on Jamie T’s Pacemaker imprint. Ostensibly about life, love and trying to figure your shit out in the wake of high school, the album is called 19 and could easily be one of the most popular releases of early 2008. Even at this stage, there’s an extraordinary amount of buzz surrounding the young artist and it will only increase from here, especially with the news that Mark Ronson is producing at least one track (”Cold Shoulder”, if memory serves) on the record. There’s nothing terribly cool or “now” about Adele’s sound, but that’s what makes her great: she’s a timeless artist with vocal talents that recall (and rival) anyone from Amy Winehouse to Etta James. Seriously, she’s got a voice that just might knock you off your feet if you’re not ready for it. That was the case for thousands across the UK when Adkins made her national TV debut on Later With Jools Holland last summer, her brilliant performance of “Daydreamer” inspiring awe in any and all who saw it and sending hundreds of new fans to her MySpace to discover more.
And while “Daydreamer” is truly a wonderful track, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. “Hometown Glory” is the real show-stopper in her repertoire, a piano-driven ode to London written as a protest song when her mother suggested she consider leaving London for university. It’s arresting, haunting and one of the year’s most promising debut singles, the first sign that Adele has arrived and is here to stay. But it’s “Chasing Pavements” that should lay the foundation for massive chart success for the young singer-songwriter when it sees release as a single preceding 19 early next year. Making its money on a huge, sweeping chorus wrought with emotion and longing, even the cheesy production (see: the massive, swelling strings of the chorus) can be forgiven in the context of a song this sensational. It’s a timeless classic-in-waiting; completely removed from any temporal context, it could be a hit single from any of the last three decades and is destined for success in this one as well. To some, Adele is just one of many shining young talents in the thriving new London folk scene, but on these tracks she displays a vocal prowess unrivaled by any of her peers and the songwriting chops to back it up. 19 will undoubtedly be the your mother’s favorite album of next year, but give it a chance and it just might be yours too.
MP3s:
“Hometown Glory” - Adele [removed]
“Chasing Pavements” - Adele [removed]
JUSTICE REMIX KLAXONS FOR NEW SINGLE/EP RELEASE
For a complete stylistic 180, cop this brand new Justice remix of Klaxons’ “As Above, So Below”. Klaxons have been remixed by just about ever major player in the remix game (Erol Alkan, SMD, Metronomy et. al), so it was only a matter of time before Justice got in on the action. I always thought “As Above, So Below” was a considerably underrated track on Myths of the Near Future, so I’m glad to see that it’s finally stepping out of the shadow of that record’s monster singles (”Atlantis To Interzone”, “Golden Skans”, “It’s Not Over Yet”, “Gravity’s Rainbow”, “Magick”) and getting some love of its own. Granted, six singles from the same record is a bit much, but I can’t really complain if they keep bringing the heat with the grade-A remixes.
MP3: “As Above, So Below” (Justice Remix) - Klaxons