PopWatchers, we need to keep an eye on Adele, a soulful singer-songwriter who I’d describe as sounding a bit like gritty Amy Winehouse and melancholy Eva Cassidy, and occasionally even a young Gladys Knight.  Adele, who turns 20 in May, has been generating major buzz in the U.K. (her first album, 19, debuted at No. 1 in Great Britain) but here in the colonies, she’s largely unknown. To get to know this upstart’s music, start with her single "Chasing Pavements," her live rendition of "Hometown Glory" (broadcast on the BBC last October), and my favorite Adele clip — her evocative  love song "Daydreamer," performed on the long-running London-based music showcase Later with Jools Holland:

If this is your first impression, what’s your take on Adele, her sound, and her prospects for success in the U.S.?

With "Supernatural Superserious," R.E.M. does what they do best: upbeat pop with a strong hook and angsty lyrics — in this case, about how we all still feel like the awkward teenagers we once were. I think Michael Stipe & Co. sound as refreshingly restless as ever, which bodes well for their upcoming album Accelerate (due April 1). Check out the grainy-good, as-basic-as-it-gets video:

However, in a classic case of too much of a good thing, "Supernaturally Superserious" has its own website, where 12 low-tech mini-movies essentially deconstruct the final cut into the separate shoots. (Tip: avoid opening all the video windows at the same time, or the site may get all ganked up, technically speaking.) There’s an implied "what is an outtake?" notion to the whole concept, but — all due respect to director Vincent Moon — after clicking around for a while, I just kept wondering, Why do this? Watching the dozen different (yet similar) visual manifestations of the same tune was, for me, merely tedious in the end. That said, I enjoyed seeing the band’s spontaneity as they traipsed around NYC’s Lower East Side (including a stop at the sex shop Babeland) on a seemingly shoestring budget. I’m superseriously curious to find out: What are your reactions to both the site and the song, PopWatch music lovers?

With just a month under our belt, I must say 2008 has been awfully good, sonically speaking: Cat Power made her sultry and long-overdue return to covers; Vampire Weekend’s so-called "Upper West Side Soweto" style has everyone in the tri-state area doing the rhumba; not to mention the cow-punk of Drive-By Truckers and garage-rock foot stomps of the Whigs continuing the Athens, Ga., legacy. But what about the next 11 months? Who’s making a valiant return? And what brand-spankin’-new artists are going to rise up out of obscurity? In order of anxiousness, here are 10 albums I can’t hardly wait to tear the packaging off of — or click the download button for, as the case may be.

My Morning Jacket (pictured), Evil Urges, June 10
It’s been almost three solid years since we’ve heard anything new from the echo-y vox of Jim James & Co. He teased us with Calexico, singing that sublime rendition of Dylan’s "Goin’ to Acapulco" for the I’m Not There soundtrack in 2007. (I was lucky enough to see him perform it live at the Beacon Theater back in November, my only disappointment being that the shaggy hair was no more.) For Evil Urges, just the band’s second major studio release on ATO, MMJ promises more Kentucky two-step and some calypso. James has even been reported as saying a little of that old-time gospel has caught hold of him — which might actually get me up for church on Sunday morning.

Wolf Parade, As yet untitled, spring 2008
Spencer Krug is a machine. No, really. Somehow he of the manic vox found the time to release two debut albums with two different bands in 2005 (Sunset Rubdown and Wolf Parade); follow up with two more in 2006 (with Sunset and second side project Swan Lake); and deliver one of my top-10 albums of last year in Sunset’s Random Spirit Lover. Krug’s sidekick (and Wolf Parade’s Adderall, if you will) Dan Boeckner even tinkered around with the drum-kit during his spare time in ‘07, resulting in Handsome Furs. The two reunite and try and match the critical acclaim of their debut, if that’s possible. You’ll likely hear more soaring guitars, more strobing synths, and, apparently, a 12-minute song that evokes, er, Slayer? If anyone can pull it off, it’s these Canadians.

Black Keys, Attack & Release, April 1
Just forget the White Stripes’ comparisons. Without prefix, suffix, or apology, Black Keys play the blues. And it’s damn good, too. A year and a half removed from the gritty rawk of Magic Potion, the Keys were flipping the script, enlisting Danger Mouse and Ike Turner for what was to be the band’s fifth album and first proper studio record. Even though Ike’s passing put a damper on things, Danger Mouse’s stamp is still on Release — although it’s nothing "Crazy."

Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple, April 2008
Speaking of Danger Mouse, the mulit-tasking producer has put together another mashup of uncoventional beats to go with Cee-Lo Green’s uber-tenor. The duo said it won’t be too far removed from 2006’s St. Elsewhere. Which begs the adage, if it ain’t broke, well, you know…

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