Day 0993 - 21

Adele "21" (2011)

Ah, that old inspirational goldmine - the relationship breakup.  

Adele had wanted to create something a bit more upbeat and contemporary to follow up her debut "19".   Her first sessions weren't incredibly productive.  To add salt to the wound, she played her first track, the gospel "Take it All" to her boyfriend (it was written during a difficult period in their relationship) which contributed to the couple breaking up.   Adele threw herself into her music.

The album was recorded with a range of producers both in the UK and US, but the various tracks are held together as a cohesive album thanks to Adele's powerful, adept voice. Whether it's the piano ballad "Someone Like You", the stomp of "Rolling in the Deep" and the Northern Soul of "I'll be Waiting", Adele makes them her own.  

 

Don't have too much more to say about this one.  As much as it hangs together well, the singles clearly stand out above than the other tracks for me. I guess that's not entirely unusual for a pop album.

Day 0606 - Calenture

The Triffids "Calenture" (1987)

I had heard the Triffids' name but had no real idea of what they'd sound like.  This album is almost indie-meets-gospel.  It has a really raw, soulful feel that is admittedly curtailed somewhat by the amount of studio sheen heaped on it.

The musical style, combined with David McComb's deep and declamatory vocal delivery make the music sound like a more upbeat take on early-mid era Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.  Not surprising then that bass-player Martyn Casey would later go on to play in the Bad Seeds.

Definitely enjoyed this and will keep it in mind for further investigation at a later date.