'Adele: London 2011' EP: Review

There is absolutely no question that British soul-diva Adele is a talented singer. To say that she’s a welcome break from typical Hot 100 fare is both common sense and an understatement. She hasn’t just released the top-selling album of the year so far, she’s also become seen across the globe as a current champion of organic music. Somehow, a combination of good marketing and genuine talent tapped into the long-dormant demographic of people sick of pop-superficiality, and propelled Adele to superstardom.

On her London 2011 EP, it’s easy to see why. There are enough differences in Adele’s vocals and the music to separate the six live songs on this album from her studio work, but it’s amazing how relatively little of her notes need to be changed or auto-tuned. Most pop singers sound unrecognizable when they perform live, but some of the vocals on Adele’s songs, like the hook to “Rumour Has It,” sound almost exactly like they do on the studio album. Adele’s voice is just that good.

The live songs are very nice to listen to. The majority of them, like “One and Only” and “Don’t You Remember,” are slow and pretty love/break-up songs. “Rumour Has It” makes up the pace, but the highlight of the album is easily “Rolling in the Deep.” It’s very touching hearing fans in the crowd sing along to the now-famous single.