Adele's long-awaited album 30 proves a hit with critics who praise

It's been six years since her last record was released and the time out of the spotlight has paid off for Adele as her new album 30 has received rave reviews from critics.

The singer's fourth album, inspired by her divorce from ex-husband Simon Konecki was released to positive reception on Friday, despite some nothing that the topic of her divorce proved to be 'all-consuming.'

On Metacritic, the record received a score of 89 out of 100, indicating 'universal acclaim' from reviewers. 

The Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield proclaimed 30 to be Adele's best album yet and said she has 'never sounded more ferocious'.

He wrote: 'You wouldn't think it was possible, but her vocals have gotten even more expressive. 

'Adele's voice is a tank division that can tap-dance—the more mature she gets as an artist, the more finesse and tact she brings to the microphone, without sacrificing any of the primal firepower that made her famous in the first place. 

'It's all there in the single Easy On Me where she pauses mid-song to linger on the first note of 'easy' so long you feel like you might pass out, even though you can tell she isn't breaking a sweat.' 

The Independent awarded the album four stars and praised the songs as 'handsomely crafted ballads' and said it was Adele's powerful voice that sells them.

Reviewer Annabel Nugent wrote: 'It's epic without resorting to showy, melismatic affectations. It yawns into unexpected shapes and makes intonation fun. 

'But there are many great vocalists out there who don't attract the same mass adoration. There's something else about Adele that makes her so endearing, something that preternatural vocal cords alone can't explain.'

In a slightly more lukewarm review, The Guardian gave the record three stars and said the topic of divorce is 'all-consuming' and some listeners may wish she would give them a break from the 'woe'.

However, they praised the singer for delivering an album that is different than her previous offerings. 

Reviewer Alexis Petridis wrote: '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's highlights.'

NME agreed that 30 is a change for the singer, saying the songs Easy On Me, To Be Loved and Hold On are the only ones that feel like 'classic Adele'. 

Writer El Hunt said: 'This devastating level of honesty means that, despite its more experimental moments, 30 still winds up feeling like trademark Adele, in its own way, most of the time. 

'And after fair accusations of playing it safe musically in the past, it's refreshing to see the pop titan treading braver territory – even if the hit-rate isn't 100 per cent. 

In a five-star review in The Daily Telegraph, critic Neil McCormick praised Adele for infusing the record with a sense of 'life-affirming liberation' despite the main theme being divorce.

The publication said her voice reaches its limit on the seven-minute long To Be Loved where she confesses some of her deepest worries.

They also said the album has a lot of positivity to offer listeners, writing: 'There is plenty of spirited positivity amid the self-pity and self-flagellation, allied to melodies that will have Karaoke nights booming, delivered with Adele’s customary gusto and lit up by her sheer joy when singing.

'The truth is, Adele actually sounds like she has had fun recording this album, particularly in the ways her free-roaming lead vocals interact with her own tightly arranged backing vocals.' 

The reviews come after it was revealed that Adele's upcoming album would include heartbreaking voice notes exchanged with Angelo.

In an emotional track, My Little Love, the singer includes audio recordings from conversations with her nine-year-old in which he attempts to stop her crying amid her 2019 divorce, which is the key subject of the record.