Adele’s 21 is definitely the commercial hit of the shortlist. 17 weeks at number 1 thanks largely, it would seem, to a performance of Someone Like You at the Brits. So does the album merit this huge success?

The first thing to say is that the opener, Rolling In The Deep, is a really great bluesy stomp of a track which showcases Adele’s voice perfectly. (As an aside, I’m guessing I’m not alone in finding this somewhat reminiscent of Gimme Shelter.) The real problem, to my ears at least, is that the songwriting elsewhere on the album is not really up to the same standard. Truth told, it’s all a bit anodyne, with nothing outstanding on the production side which helps elevate it. We’re left with a series of beautiful, powerful vocals let down by the emotion-by-numbers backing. Rapidly pedalling piano with stormy sting backing? Check! Soft rock balladry? Check! Westlife key change? Check! Grrrrr… Annoying. If she’d only get a decent songwriting partnership set up, she could be really something. I mean, 17 weeks at number one, what an underachiever! What me, bitter?

OK, possibly an unfair point of view. It’s not a really bad album, it’s just a bit mainstream for my taste. Aside from Rolling In The Deep, I’m really taken with I’ll Be Waiting’s bluesy swagger. This is, however, counterbalanced by the cover of The Cure song Lovesong seems rather perfunctory, managing to deliver less tortured emotion per square foot than the original. All in all, a bit disappointing…

♫ Listen to short excerpts ♫

(Sorry, couldn’t find a full stream of this - guess the reckid labels don’t want to cannibalise the CD and download sales to eke another few thousand copies… even with the annoying adverts on we7… breadheads!)