Adele - Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 24 Sep 2011

With dates cancelled before and after her Usher Hall date, due to ongoing health issues, the fact that Adele appeared at all is cause for celebration. Albums 19 and 21 have garnered the young Londoner a strong fan base, so when she asks us to ‘bear with her’ while her vocal chords return to full strength, the crowd is happy to oblige.

She needn’t have asked. Aside from the odd moment, such as the soaring climax to ‘Set Fire to the Rain’, when she uses her head rather than chest voice, her warm vocals are very much in evidence. And if you thought her lyrics took you into Adele’s inner sanctum, then her between-song banter takes us even closer.

By her own admission, most of her oeuvre is ‘miserable’, but that’s why we love her. And hearing the story behind each tale of heartbreak (be it a row in a New York restaurant for ‘Turning Tables’ or her friends gossiping about her for ‘Rumour Has It’) makes the songs even more poignant than before.

At just 23, Adele still has some growing up to do, both as a person and a songwriter, but if the current trend persists and she continues to take us with her, it’ll be a hell of a journey.