I generally feel the same way about this Adele record as I do about her follow-up, 25. But while this younger (well I guess older now) record is more drenched in its influences, with the sounds of the late Amy Winehouse seeping into a good chunk of the songs here, it ultimately has the better crop of songs. It also beats out 25 nostalgically speaking for me. 'Rolling In the Deep' perfectly meshes those soul revival sounds of the '2000s with the incoming ferocity and punch of 2010-era pop. 'Turning Tables' is a gorgeous power ballad and while this cover of 'Lovesong' is missing that iconic 'The Cure' bassline, the magnificent string arrangements make up for it. The call-and-response chorus of the blues-rocky 'Rumor Has It' works better than it has any right to and the closing 'Someone Like You' is classic Adele and its finest. And I mean classic. And, even at 21, she's an incredible vocalist. Probably my favorite Adele album, so many classic tunes here. Nothing mind-blowing or really all that innovative on the production end, sure, but, believe it or not, sometimes music can just be really good and that's it.