It feels as though a lifetime has passed since Adele’s release of her pivotal sophomore album “21” in 2011.
For those who shared in Adele’s heartache with a separation of their own, time seemed to heal old wounds. They were left with dull, fading scars – until this morning when Columbia Records released the newest installment of Adele’s discography: “25.”
Listening to “25” is strange in a very beautiful way. It brings one back to a time of brokenness, where “Someone Like You” was the only thing playing through headphones and tear glands were working in overtime.
With “25,” it’s experienced all over again, but with a different feeling.
Unlike “21,” this album is more reminiscent of melancholic healing than a painful reminder. This album will, in a very unique way, build up the ruins of a once broken life.
Using her impressive vocal range, Adele takes the listener on a roller coaster of emotion, taking them to an empowering high with her gigantic voice, then driving them back into the deepest depths of that chilling vibe first heard on “19,” her freshman studio release, and then up again through more uplifting tracks.
This manic euphoria begins with “Hello,” which has remained on Billboard’s #1 spot each week since it came out in early November. The strong opening ballad, with its moving lyrics and heart-wrenching tone, set the mood for the rest of the album. That is, until the very next track. “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” has a playful chorus with a serious message: “Send my love to your new lover/treat her better/we gotta let go of all our ghosts/we both know we ain’t kids no more.”
“I Miss You” is an unnerving track in that it simultaneously empowers and hypnotizes, only to be followed with “When We Were Young,” which showcases Adele’s old soul and the realistic revelation of aging: “Oh we were sad of getting old/it made us restless/oh I’m so mad I’m getting old/it makes me reckless.” Giving voice to the feelings associated with getting older has never been easier.
The roller coaster ride is most turbulent as the album proceeds through tracks like “Remedy,” “Water Under the Bridge,” and “River Lea.”
The album continues down the track of the amusement park attraction, veering a bit to the left, towards the void of the dying last breath of a relationship with “Love in The Dark.” It is powered by a pulsing, yet melodic, piano chord progression with the accompaniment of a soft string section.
“Million Years Ago” takes on sadness, but not of a love lost. Rather, it takes on the yearning of a distant childhood. Adele croons alongside a softly plucked guitar about the innocence experienced before life became difficult: “I wish I could live a little more/look up to the sky not just the floor/I feel like my life is flashing by/all I can do is watch and cry.”
This bleak reminder about how quickly life passes is followed by the slightly more hopeful tracks of “All I Ask” and “Sweetest Devotion,” which, in truth, seem more of a promise of self-love and rebuilding than the asking of assurance from a lover.
All in all, “25” is the perfect mix of moving, empowering and nostalgic music. It serves as a sweet reminder of what once was, but what, sadly, will never be again. It rebuilds the broken hearts that were created by “21,” and it gives the listener another round of inspiring tunes to relate to in times of trouble.
Track Listing:
1. Hello
2. Send My Love (To Your New Lover)
3. I Miss You
4. When We Were Young
5. Remedy
6. Water Under the Bridge
7. River Lea
8. Love in the Dark
9. Million Years Ago
10. All I Ask
11. Sweetest Devotion