Emeli Sande stuns with her debut

Emeli Sande, “Our Version of Events” (Capitol)

For at least the next year or so, every U.K. female singer who has a soulful voice and favors ballads has to deal with an unenviable fate — being compared with fellow Brit Adele.

That's what Emeli Sande is facing with her debut, “Our Version of Events.” It doesn't help that Emeli Sande's real name is Adele — she started using her middle name when the current queen of pop became a sensation. Also like Adele, Sande has some mournful, heart-wrenching tunes in her repertoire. And like Adele, Sande is a gifted songwriter, cowriting all 14 tracks (including the last song, the gripping “Hope,” with Alicia Keys) on her album.

And finally, like Adele, she makes brilliant music. But what will make her a sensation is that she has a sound that is distinctly her own. While her piercing soprano is reminiscent of a lot of R&B and pop singers (perhaps most like Tamia's), what sets Emeli apart is her material. “Our Version of Events” is a stunning collection of songs that creatively and imaginatively express age-old themes like heartache, love and more. “Suitcase” is a quivering song about a lover who walks out the door with no explanation. On the stark and beautiful “Breaking the Law,” Sande expresses her devotion to her man by offering to do a litany of criminal acts. And “River,” in which she offers to be a guide, is a gorgeous, piano-based track that is as majestic as its words.

There's not one throwaway song on the album, just song after song that are must-listens. And yes, that's another instance where she's like Adele — or better yet, like Emeli Sande.

Check this out: On the sweeping “Maybe,” Sande attempts to find a resolution for a relationship at a stalemate — whether it involves reconciliation or breakup.