Adele returns after almost five years, to startle us with a mushy hit single that can never go out of our head. Hello has sky rocketed the charts all over the world and everyone who has heard it has fallen in love with the ballad, the lyrics, the soft tones of the melody and the strikingly beautiful video, it leaves you in amazement. Those high pitch vocals carry the song to another level. Cured of a life threatening ailment of her vocal chords that could’ve ended her career, Adele has made a fab comeback with an album that has five star written all over it.

Packed with an 11 track playlist, all her songs are penned by the Adkins girl who just turned 27. Going by the astonishing success of 2011’s 21, the sophomore knockout that went on to sell more than 30 million copies, the new album is sure to meet the same success story.

Almost every song addresses heartache in one form or another, besides of course a love affair gone sour, love and its various shades, and unwittingly forgiveness, when it comes to a relationship. Her first album 19, was in her teens, then came adulthood with 21 and now with motherhood its 25, an album that brings out her look as a person while addressing many other emotional problems.

Her balladic twist moves over to co writing with Swedish pop mixer Max Martin in the up-tempo and forgiving ballad Send My Love (To Your New Lover), to a soft drum setting with a tight rhythm section in the slow jam I Miss You that speaks about her loneliness.“I miss you when the lights go out / It illuminates all of my doubts…We place all love into the dark / ‘Cause we are living worlds apart / It only makes it harder baby / It only makes it harder baby”which gently meanders to the beautiful piano ballad When We Were Young, co -written by Canadian indie-rocker - singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. that speaks about her past days. “You look like a movie/ You sound like a song / My God this reminds me / Of when we were young.” The beat takes off a bit on the seductive swelling ballad Water Under The Bridge a song that deals with an ex lover.

The piano ballads Love in the Dark and All I Ask, is done in true classic Adele style with good production values and lyrically satisfying hooks. Remedy, River Lea, Million Years ago are other gems that you should listen to sung by the multiple Grammy winning songstress who knows her music only too well. The final track Sweetest Devotion has a backup group of singers who give a calming effect to the track.

If you want some mushy ballads for a good hour or so, Adele gives you many to chose from. She is, undoubtedly the greatest vocalist of her generation, an artist who instinctively understands timbre and pitch, when to soar and when to whisper.

There are no lyrics to the songs on the CD inlay, but the inlay gives you a peek into the recording of this album through some memorable photos.

Rating: *****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira