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 0927 - Time (the Revelator)

Gillian Welch "Time (the Revelator)" (2001) - got it

The film "O Brother Where Art Thou" had revived public interest in rootsy, folky Americana.   Welch and her writing/performing partner David Rawlings had previously worked with the producer of that soundtrack, T-Bone Burnett.  They'd agreed to have Burnett as their producer when he'd let them know he was happy to stick to their approach of minimal instrumentation.

The pair themselves had recently been working with Ryan Adams on his 'Heartbreaker' album and "Time (the Revelator)" was the pair's third album under Welch's name.

The album is a rootsy sort of mountain music.  It feels like a weird mix of music that's 100 years old an brand new at the same time.   The opening track is nice and mellow, then it heads into "My First Lover" which is more of an upbeat banjo-heavy track.   The one that (by its name) sounds like it should be punchier "I want to see that rock n roll" is all vocal harmonies and restraint.

"Ruination Day part II" has an almost dangerous tone to its subdued melody.  Like there's murder under the notes somewhere.   "Dear Someone" is my favourite off the album, a nice trotting pace rendered in acoustic guitar and a vocal harmony that wouldn't have been out of place 90 years ago, or 150 years ago or last week.

Another one of those albums where owning it is one of the many perks of being married to my wife.