Adele Returns with Power and Restraint and 11 More New Songs

It’s been six years since Adele’s launch “25” Diamond certified third studio album. Back then, pretty much everything changed in the music business: Streaming is strictly the default distribution option, singing and pop-punk are the most popular stylistic frameworks, and TikTok has essentially smashed the art of singing.

But no one said that to Adele, who was then a nuclear-grade warhead vocalist and remains so, and whose approach to making music has never changed. “Easy on Me” is the first single from her fourth studio album, “30”. to be released next month. She said she was shaped by the turmoil in her personal life. Adele is a singer filled with the same moist melancholy in her most cheerful songs as she is in her most hurtful songs.

His real talent, though, is restraint—knowing how patiently to fill his voice, hovering over each syllable as if slowly weaving cinder blocks, regularly stealing the aura of his targets. This is captured in the opening lines of the song: “There is no gold in this river/I am washing my hands forever,” the simple recording of a baptism that turns into drowning. Provoked by a piano, he goes on and on, detailing a relationship for which he gave his all. This is an ingenious and almost soothing dismissal, even at its sharpest moment, made even more tense by the feeling of holding something small back. JON CARAMANICA

Finneas, ‘Love Is Pain’

Finneas, for once, pairs up with the somber, whispered insights of his sister Billie Eilish in a song that realizes where real-life romantic fantasy falls short. From her debut album “Optimist” released on Friday. Over plain piano chords, she sings moments like “That empty feeling in your chest/when you both wordlessly undress after the fight” without easy consolation. JON PARELES

serpentwithfeet, ‘Lower Noah’s River’

“Lower Noah River” is roughly equal parts and cryptic. It’s based on the task-oriented rhythms of the work song and playground chant: “Go, go now go swim in the noah river/oh, now you’re trying to get me in trouble.” The beat synchronizes an octave-hopping bass line against a muffled rumble and one-handed piano chords. But it’s not that simple: footed snake — Josiah Wise — continues to alter and multiply the vocal and effects layers, pointing to hallucinations and revelations where one “swims to the deepest part/where all wishes are made”. PARELES

Belgian songwriter, singer, rapper and producer Stromae (Paul van Haver) re-emerges with “Santé”, which celebrates ordinary people – Rosa, Albert, Celine, Arlette – doing their job by breaking an unusually long public silence. The piece has an electro-And feel and pairs the strumming of a small guitar with one of Stromae’s irresistible whistling synthesizer hooks. PARELES

Juls featuring Fireboy DML ‘Intentionally’

Juls’s strokes have a textured softness, like a satin slip dress. And frankly, you should probably wear this when listening to “Intentionally,” a new track from British-Ghanaian producer and Fireboy DML. The Nigerian vocalist mutters, “Love me on purpose/I don’t want anything temporary.” The song from Juls’ debut studio album is a sweet, simple desire, a lithe promise of reciprocity and affection. ISABELIA HERRERA

Nikara Warren, ‘Run Ricky’

“Run Ricky” is the lead single from young vibraphonist Nikara Warren’s debut album “Black Wall Street”. Beginning with an impressive bass line from Parker McAllister and a slight boom-bap from David Frazier Jr. on drums, the track showcases his talents as an instrumentalist, bandleader and rapper. Horns, keyboards, guitar, and Warren’s vibraphone fill them and they perform a rap about Ricky, a young Black artist who has been subjected to violence. “Damn Ricky, you should have done the impossible,” the verse says as it closes. However, this does not bring the melody to its climax; The band continues for another three minutes, twisting with funk followed by rock followed by Afro-Cuban chord as Hailey Niswanger’s tenor saxophone and Stephen Fowler’s trumpet tune change. GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO

Dos Santos’ “Alma Cósmica” is an explosion of narrative mystery, like a ’60s western spaghetti. “Adónde voy? “De donde soy?” wonder band leader Alex Chavez. We may not know where it’s going or where it’s coming from, but the production keeps us going: a trembling guitar and a persistent shaker curl together into mutant chicha. HERRERA

Walker Hayes, ‘U Gurl’

Walker Hayes’ country hit “Fancy Like” is a commercial that looks like a song that’s out now. completely redesigned as advertising. It’s a coincidence, and it’s also slightly cowardly – lightly because Hayes never quite gets the job done; sometimes he seems to sing a parody of advertising jingles. A little grumpy, but not enough to derail the field. This tenor is also used on Hayes’ new single “U Gurl,” a kind of pale caricature of hyper-masculine country talk: I see it go but I love watching it come out.” A familiar text delivered with a slightly arched eyebrow. And it’s effective – ” Can you believe I did this?” Scorcher’s “Can you believe we got away with this?” shatter. karamanika

Blackstarkids, ‘Piss Drunk Boys’

#dreampop #hiphop #Y2K #Tumblr #skaterat #shoegaze #kawaii #emo. karamanika

Eels, ‘Good Night World’

A fuzzy guitar riff and a fast rhythm convey the excellent Eels song “Good Night on Earth”: muffled, laconic, dry-eyed and well aware of the ironies of life. PARELES

Cheerful, even relentlessly healthy Colombian songwriter Camilo and his wife (as of 2020), Evaluna Montaner, have abundantly documented their romance on social media as well as songs. “Índigo” continues to combine these streams of content in close harmonies that are breezy, clapping, yacht-rock duets, all strumming guitars and lovingly blissful – they say “I won without playing the lottery” – video showing a positive pregnancy test and a baby bump . PARELES

Edward Simon, ‘The Country’

No note goes to waste in the translucent playing of Edward Simon, a Venezuelan pianist who is now the longest-serving member of the venerable SFJAZZ Collective. He recorded “Solo Live” during a 2019 concert at the Piedmont Piano Company in Oakland on his 50th birthday. On “Country,” the album’s only original, a melody rolling on a repeating pattern of forward-thinking chords leads to a long, loopy improvisation that results in chunky, rhythmic crosstalk between Simon’s left and right hands. Russonello