POP

Much is made these days of the ‘voice’. Joss Stone, if you remember, had one; Corinne Bailey Rae still has hers; why, wasn’t even the bland and affected Katie Mellua touted as being in the possession of such a thing? The newest voice on the block is 19-year-old Adele’s, and it’s a fine one I must say. 19 is a nice album too, grandly heralding a new and worthy talent, but it continues a tradition of soul by numbers, and as in the examples above, without experience a voice can sound like they have little to say.

On this evidence Adele is undoubtedly destined for success, but let’s not yet talk of greatness.