Adele - 'Cold Shoulder'
2008 has observed a raft of female singer-songwriters gushing into every nook of society, which makes it hard to actually discern who actually sparkles, and who stinks.
After hearing ‘Cold Shoulder’ it is safe to say that sour-faced-Brit-school graduate Adele is another addition to the slew of female artists fit for the Woolworths bargain bin.
If you’re not already annoyed by the ASDA-radio friendliness that is her sound, you will be now. The track, though not as infectiously irritating as ‘Chasing Pavements’, is cold, hum-drum and forgettable.
The opening fifteen or so seconds is about as good as it gets: The rolling snare coupled with a xylophone continuo is reminiscent of Massive Attack’s enigmatic gem ‘Unfinished Sympathy’. However, this is where any trace of magic evaporates.
Flavour of the micro-second Mark Ronson attempts to bounce some flare into the soulless void. Where his vintage, identikit production style complimented Amy Winehouse’s sultry voice, it here falls flat, sounding distinctly flavourless.
It takes two spins to deduce what this single lacks: A song. Although she has a good voice (I stress good), the track misses the vital ingredients that make a catchy pop record. Like a car without an engine- it looks good on paper, but infuriatingly, it doesn’t function.
Adele is young and has time to flower. She certainly has bags of potential. Whether she has any shelf life is debateable.