Okay, this one is a little random. But, shit, it is really goddamn catchy and I've been walking around my apartment all night singing it, so I figured I may as well write about it. The first, oh, I don't know, 30 times I heard this song I really didn't like it. For some reason, I couldn't find the melody. The sounds of her voice and the background singers all just melded together and I couldn't discerne a coherent tune, so the song just couldn't stick with me. The same thing actually happened with "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. Eventually, with both songs, the melody found me and latched on fiercely.
I won't say that I like this song, but I will say that I think it's a good song. Adele's vocals are powerful while still being distinct. There are hints of cracking and pitchiness that add character and don't at all feel like mistakes. I love it when a singer can BELT out a note, and Adele clearly has that skill down. Her voice has a nice rich "earthiness" that actually reminds me a bit of Ann Wilson of Heart. That's some damn lofty praise, by the way.
The comparison to Ms. Wilson is a bit of a problem. What makes Ann Wilson have such a special place in my heart (...) is that she rocks. Heart were a rock band and, in my opinion, one of the few do it right with a female vocalist. Ann Wilson easily could have sang the bluesy, mo-town-esque songs that Adele seems to be drawn to. But she didn't. I think that Adele would be absolutely amazing to hear in a rock band. She has that rare quality that most female singers lack that would allow her to sound perfectly at home next to some wailing guitars.
Oh, also, I hate the background singers. It makes the song corny. Probably one of the reasons that I like Linkin Park's cover of the song. They made it purely about the emotion and the vocals. Maybe Adele does an acoustic version... off to YouTube!
