In the past, Great Britain mainly sold male guitar straps. At the turn of the new millennium, the island is overrun by talented young women, both soul ( , ) and singer / songwriters ( , ). Nineteen-year-old Adele Adkins combines the best of both worlds. The instrumentation of her much-discussed debut album 19 is largely acoustic, her inspired performance shows that she has listened carefully to
… jazz and soul. The resulting sound is a blueprint for all that passes for contemporary British pop, and that's how this down-to-earth South London girl could have become the center of massive hype. After the success of the first single Chasing Pavements, the debut now follows, showing that all the commotion is indeed justified. A penetrating voice, lyrics full of teenage suffering and catchy songs: Adele has everything to become a star. (MS)more
