Yesterday I wrote about Duffy’s Rockferry. Another album that I’ve loved this summer is Adele‘s 19. Adele is also British — she hails from North London — but her sound is quite different from Duffy’s. Adele is much more a jazz musician than neo-soul or a throwback to the 1960s. Here’s a sample of her music, her first single, “Chasing Pavements:”

I first heard “Chasing Pavements” on Vh1. Of course the visuals of the video are eye-catching. It’s a great, creative video. But what really held my attention was the vocal. I like her combination of pop and jazz. The overall sound is pop, but her articulation and styling is jazz. It’s definitely very listenable.

I also like that Adele is a beautiful, normal sized woman. I’m kind of tired of anorexic meth addict looking singers with little or no talent. I’m definitely ready for talent and substance over media packaging.

My favorite track off the album right now is “Cold Shoulder.” Here’s the video:

This song is on my playlist for when I’m in the gym. Again, I like the combination of pop — in this case the use of strings — and jazz.

Another song I like to hear while working out is “Right as Rain.” Here’s a live version:

This clip shows that Adele can really sing — she’s not just the creation of producers. Here’s an even better example of this, a live clip of Adele singing Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love:”

I also really like “Best for Last.” It’s a great jazz number with a wonderful bass line. Here she is singing it live:

And finally, here’s a live version of another song I really like, “Tired:”

In sum, I love Adele’s blend of pop jazz. Her music is very rhythmical like jazz but also melodic like pop. I find it very appealing. It’s certainly right up there with the other recent British imports that I like — Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Paulo Nutini, and Kate Nash. I hope she has a long and productive career. I’d like to see what she does next.