Sounds New Release of the week:

Adele - 30

It’s hard to imagine that Adele could get more vulnerable in her music: heartbreak was already splashed across her three previous records.

But with 30’s distinctly more adult topic, ’divorce, babes, divorce’, Adele has managed to cut even deeper into her beautifully wounded soul.

With nearly half the album hailing songs over six minutes, she has time to explore the diverse musical facets which make her Adele: jazz in All Night Parking, neo-soul in Woman Like Me, Max Martin-powered country-pop in Can I Get It, and R&B in Love Is a Game.

She’s said that this record was inspired in part by Judy Garland, and it’s apparent from the cinematic 40s glamour of opener Strangers By Nature to the understated theatricality that we’ve come to know and love Adele for throughout.

The birth of an icon had begun already; this is just another step on the (yellow-brick) road.

Sound Pick of the Week:

John Prine - John Prine

This album - much-loved at Sound Records - turned 50 last month, the perfect excuse for us to get in a few beautiful reissue copies of John Prine’s self-titled debut.

It continues to sound as fresh as it did back in 1971, with Rolling Stone ranking it amongst its 500 greatest albums of all time.

It includes some of Prine’s finest works such as ’Sam Stone’ and ’Angel From Montgomery’.

After initially being spotted by Kris Kristofferson, John Prine’s debut album earned him a number of admirers, including the likes of Bob Dylan.

Tracks such as ’Paradise’ resonated with many, quickly becoming a bluegrass standard.

Originally written by John for his father, the track has since been covered by a number of artists such as Johnny Cash and The Everly Brothers.