User talk:MaranoFan/EOM

Element 1 (Lyrics/Subtelty?)
Veteran critic Robert Christgau described 30 as a "breakthrough" for Adele and believed she "explores new vistas of virtuosity, subtly because subtlety is her thing ... texturing and shading her mezzo on an album a step up variety-wise from its predecessors". Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph believed 30 was her strongest record yet, with its "powerhouse" songs, "intense" emotions and "bravura" performances. Emma Swann of DIY described the album as "raw and uncompromising", matching cinematic music with lyrics on "the pain, the self-flagellation, the hope, the acceptance." The Independent critic Annabel Nugent found the subject matter candid, unfiltered and "unmediated" and believed it contained some optimistic love songs, unlike her previous records whose sad themes "can be wearisome in excess." Kate Solomon, writing for i, said that 30 was a "reverent and messy, polished and painful" album from a "woman in turmoil, from raging wine-fuelled nights to quiet teary moments". NME El Hunt and The Guardian Alexis Petridis gave mixed reviews. Hunt said 30 was Adele's most creative album but stuck to "safer territory"; he appreciated the incorporation of new sounds but felt the compositions of "Hold On", "I Drink Wine", and "Can I Get It" were jarring. Petridis said the album is monotonous musically and lyrically compared to her previous albums, and "given their sales figures, you couldn't blame Adele for declining to even tinker with a formula that clearly ain't broke. But she does, and it makes for 30 highlights."

Element 2 (Voice)
Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield called it her "toughest, most powerful album yet" with the best vocal performance of her career. Mikael Wood of Los Angeles Times highlighted her "soaring yet pulpy, gorgeous" vocals.

Element 3 (Production)
Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield called it her "toughest, most powerful album yet" and praised its "deft" production. David Cobbald of The Line of Best Fit complimented the theatrical essence of 30 and the use of electronic instruments and synthesisers in its production, but was less impressed by some of its upbeat songs. Pitchfork critic Jillian Mapes called 30 an "incredibly moving album" and Adele's most ambitious work to-date due to its "nuanced" production.