Music: "25" by Adele

The Witch Trial:
It had been four years since the release of the much hyped, much loved second album from Adele "21".  Has she come back in a big way or is this going to start to see the decline in the chanteuse's career...

Who:
Adele
What:
Easy Listening/Pop
Why:
Album number three
When:
Released November 2015
Where:
English singer/songwriter

For (and Against) The Record: 25
Length: 48:25
  "Hello"
This is a great first single that takes a little while to grab your attention but once it has its hooks in you; you will find yourself singing along in no time.  It doesn't surprise me that they chose to open the record with this one.
  "Send My Love"
I get a Caribbean feel from the upbeat tune going on in the background of this track.  It is typical to have the second song get the album going with a bit of a party atmosphere and this one does that to good effect.
  "I Miss You"
This song reminds me the most of "Set Fire To The Rain" from "21".  It's an enjoyable tune that has single potential although the length does not adhere well to commercial radio.
  "When We Were Young"
After the previous two songs upping the tempo this tune brings the pace down a bit.  It does have a catchy chorus that will have friends reminiscing of old times.
  "Remedy"
Features a stripped back piano melody and feels more like Adele getting back to her roots.
  "Water Under The Bridge"
Has a nice backbeat and is one of the songs that grab you from the start.  I will be really surprised if this isn't released as a single.
  "River Lea"
Has a sing a long chorus to draw you in but it grates after a while with the vocal warbling between the words River and Lea.  Still not a terrible song though.
  "Love In The Dark"
This is another of the slower tunes with piano prominent throughout.  Not a standout but again Adele manages to put enough in for you to appreciate it.
  "Million Years Ago"
I got a very sombre feel from this song.  I do like the acoustic guitar; it offers a hint of flamenco.  It makes a nice change to the piano.
  "All I Ask"
This is the one song that is tonally all over the place.  it is another piano song that seems to be here to show off Adele's vocal range.  It is probably the tune I dislike the most as it goes high and low too much.
  "Sweetest Devotion"
Here we have a much more upbeat track to finish things off.  It has a toe-tapping tempo.  The chorus features some really dodgy rhyming; "what rhymes with Devotion" definitely came up during the writing process.

There is definitely more to like than dislike with this release.  I for one would much rather see a musician take their time to produce material of quality and variety.
Most artists do not have the luxury of time when recording, as pressure from their label comes into play.  They are after all in the business to make money and will therefore remind artists of their contractual obligations.  The end result of this generally means a musician releasing material that they haven't been able to put as much love and care into as they often would like.
Although in saying that there are musicians that will just procrastinate over their work too much because they have disappeared so far up their own arse thinking that what they are recording is going to be the next White Album.
Adele is in the fortunate position to have reached a point in her career where she is able to dictate back to her record label and be afforded the time she feels is necessary before releasing new material.  Knowing that they are probably onto a winner; the record company can also afford to allow her to extend her deadlines.
Having freely admitted to suffering from writers block when it came to writing this work also bought her more time to record and refine these tunes.  On top of that Adele had to deal with things in her personal life such as having a baby and handling the spotlight thrust upon her due to the overwhelming success of the previous album: "21".
The writer's block between records two and three looks to have helped give Adele the time to expand her horizons.  The subject matter covers different themes other than love and relationship break ups which were most prevalent on the previous two releases.  There are songs covering those topics here, but we also have lyrics about fame and family as well as growing up too.

25 gives Adele the chance to again show off her impressive voice.  We are provided with a variety of styles over the course of the record which highlight those vocal talents.

It starts with a terrific first single to open the album.  Then it has a couple of more standard dance songs to follow before exploring newer territory of themes and musical influences.  It finishes off the way it opens with a song that sticks in your mind leaving you wanting a bit more.
All up "25" is a well-rounded and competent album without as many hit singles jumping out at you like there was on 21.  Which isn't a criticism as overall the content and variation makes this an enjoyable listen and compliments her previous output.
Whilst this isn't breaking down new walls all the time it does try some new avenues which is refreshing.  I hate it when an artist looks to go in a completely different direction which often alienates the people who appreciated the musicians' earlier work.  I do like them trying to expand their repertoire though and for me this album does just that.

Verdict:
Adele won't be sentenced to 25 to life for this effort and hopefully we can look forward to something around say 28?

Evidence:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/25_(Adele_album)
http://adele.com/