ALBUM REVIEW: Emeli Sandé's "Our Version of Events"

Emeli Sandé is a 25-year-old soul R&B singer, who is not only likened to Adele for her powerful and inspiring vocals, but because Adele is actually her first name. There's worst company one could keep.

In Emeli's debut album, Our Version of Events, she does not disappoint in the vocal department. I think what I love most about her sound is the drama, the buildup, and the depth. She sounds like she rips every note from within, and it's not just some studio-shopped mashup of a few good takes.

My favorite track is her second single, "Daddy," released last November. It's about betrayal and infidelity and backsliding into an emotionally abusive relationship, and best of all, it's rife with melodrama, laying on the violins and bells. In the most recent single off the album, "My Kind of Love" she changes it up and defends herself against accusations of infidelity. My second favorite track is the third single, "Next to Me," released around Valentine's Day--perfect for the ladies laying claim to their good men. In "Where I Sleep," a track she wrote all by herself, she beautifully professes her love even further. Last, but not least, there's the upbeat track "Wonder," which is a refreshing break from the endless amount of intense ballads on the album. It's an inspirational immediate crowd-pleaser that should bring audiences to their feet.

Expect to hear more from Emeli, if not directly then through other artists, since she's not only writing for Alicia Keys's upcoming album, but for artists signed to Simon Cowell's record label.