What a contrast - in one corner we have queen of the red tops, Amy Winehouse, apparently 3 months from death and certainly 18 months after Back to Black was released. In the other corner, Adele - fresh faced, spread across most of the newspapers ahead of tomorrows release of ‘19′, her debut album. The contrast between the two couldn’t be any greater.

And yet, Adele Atkins is constantly compared. ‘The new Amy Winehouse’, or ‘The Next Kate Nash’, it must be quite frustrating to be bracketed with your peers.

But, in true journalistic tradition - these are lazy descriptions - to me, Adele seems to have much more going for her, a great sense of style, superb voice and an awesome collection of songs. This album has enough of its own style and substance to stand without those comparisons.

The opener ‘Daydreamer’ has been all over the radio, alongside previously released material ‘Chasing Pavements’ and ‘Hometown Glory’ (which was previously released on friend  Jamie Ts label). On ‘Cold Shoulder’ a nice shuffling rhythm track allows the big soulful voice to do its stuff - certainly radio friendly, this will be a single in the future. ‘Right as Rain’ is driven along by a nice sound Rhodes, and a sixties style vocal that is one of the closest to the Mark Ronson sound that drives many of her peers.

Make you feel my love is a stunner, piano and strings underpinning a sweet love song and ‘My Same’ is another soulful number that shows off the voice to good effect. ‘Tired’ is a great track with huge strings giving a great contrast to a tick-tock rhythm.

The whole album is excellent - well produced, nicely written and brilliantly sung.

So comparisons will inevitably heaped on her, and most will come and go, but I’d put my money on Adele having more longevity than many of the artists she’s been compared with - she already has more style and grace than most of them.

Highly recommended CD - get into it before it’s everywhere, because I guarantee this album will be absolutely huge in 2008.