Album review: Adele's 'Live at the Royal Albert Hall'

The release date for Adeles Live at the Royal Albert Hall CD (which also includes a 90-minute concert DVD) is auspicious, and not because it comes just in time for the holidays. It reminds us of what Adeles recent throat surgery sought to preserve: her rich and lusty voice that soars to whatever blustery cliffs the songs demand.

Listening to Adele on these 17 songs recorded in her hometown earlier this fall is a bit like watching a pro running back score a touchdown. Theres a great athleticism to her vocals, as she dashes and twists her way through thickets of melody. Sometimes she reserves her energy, dodging around the note; other times she pins it down with a stylish growl. Reliving the songs as she sings them, Adele occasionally lets out a satisfied cackle, like at the end of If It Hadnt Been for Love, a train-yard blues number that could almost be in Tom Waits repertoire. Sauntering through the bubbly Bacharach-style jazz on Right as Rain from her debut 19, you can hear the smile on her face.

For all her prowess, Albert Hall also catches a few slip-ups from Adele, times when she hits a flat note or showboats to the point of slackening the songs momentum. Sometimes her band sounds a little thin behind her. But she is human, after all, and this is the first full-length live record of what will likely be many capturing an exciting moment in Adeles career.

Adele

"Live at the Royal Albert Hall"

(Columbia)

Three stars (Out of four)

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--Margaret Wappler