Where does one begin to describe perfection? The opening song, pre-released before the entire CD, has to be the song that was heard around the word (It’s already being covered). It’s a mournful song about lost love, trying to find a way to reconnect, brought forth from Adele’s powerful vocal cords. It has a wonderful hook, and you will find yourself humming it, or singing it in your car or shower. Let it be known, though, that 25 is not 21, nor 19.
Her vocals and lyrics have grown exponentially; she seems to have embraced who she is and what she is capable of doing wholeheartedly. “Send My Love to Your New Lover” has a drum beat like a pulse, almost ska or dub step style, as she sets herself free from a lover and encourages him to treat his new lover better. “I Miss You” is another song with heavy drum, but Adele’s voice goes deep and smoky. With this song she calls to mind Sarah McLachlan. “When We Were Young” is a torch song, a yearning for the grand days when life was “a song.” It is (yet another) song that makes your eyes leak. “Remedy” is a lullaby letting baby know mommy will always there. “Water Under the Bridge “is another soulful song of broken love, with a singable hook. “River Lea” reminds me of Laura Nyro, with the vocal layering and melancholy lyrics. “Love in the Dark” is another heartbreaker. “Million Years Ago” is acoustic, and tell of bearing her soul and regrets she’s had, and all of the people she’d miss. “All I Ask” and “Sweetest Devotion” finish out the CD: one is a heartbreaker about losing the love she’d found but the last song brings everything back up to the top of the Ferris wheel.
All of the songs on the CD were written or co-written by Adele; multiple producers worked on the album, perhaps contributing to its mixture of sounds.