By Christine Saraceno
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Musicians who have achieved major success with their debut albums often face the laborious task of having to duplicate the results with their sophomore release.

With her first album “19” going double platinum worldwide and earning her two Grammy awards, British songstress Adele must have been under the same pressure.

However, for her new record “21” she met the challenge head on with a fresh new spin on her signature sound. It also must have helped enormously to have legendary producer Rick Rubin (Slayer, Jay-Z) behind some of the tracks with his unparalleled talent.

The album’s lead single “Rolling in the Deep” evokes the spirit of classic soul music beautifully. A steady build up by her band to the climactic chorus displays Adele’s unmatched vocal range, framed ever so perfectly by her gospel-like back up singers.

Listeners can hear the influence of Brit-soul idol, Dusty Springfield, on the blues inspired “I’ll Be Waiting” which tells the story of a girl’s unwavering love for her boyfriend no matter the distance between them.

Much like she did on “19” when she covered Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love,” she puts her own twist on another classic ballad in the form of The Cure’s “Lovesong” by giving it a smooth jazz vibe. (editor: it’s sometimes credited as “Lovesong” and other times “Love Song”.)

When asked about her thoughts on “21,” Valencia student Kristin Levy said, “I think she has a really great voice so I’m really excited to listen to it. I’ve heard it’s pretty good.”

Many comparisons have been made between the music of Adele and fellow English divas Duffy, Amy Winehouse, and Kate Nash but this assortment of eleven songs stands all on it’s own and hits notes, blends melodies, and tells stories of love and loss that the others could never dream of mastering. It’s an album that should be an instant addition to any music lover’s collection no matter what your genre of choice may be.