Laura Burhenn has a beautiful voice. Pure, strong, clear, emotive. I’ve heard her live many times before, both as part of Georgie James and in solo performances, but her voice may never have sounded so astoundingly lovely as it did inside the acoustically perfect Sixth & I Historic Synagogue last night. And when Adele took the stage after her opener, she put the talented Burhenn to shame.

Adele turned 20 years old last month, and in that short amount of time on this planet, has managed to develop one of the most impressive vocal instruments I’ve heard in a very long time. Comparisons to Amy Winehouse follow the young Brit around like her shadow, and it’s not without reason. Her inflection, her accent, her range, and her register all line up just about evenly with the bee-hived wonder that brought 60s-style female soul up to the front lines of the music industry (specifically, the British music industry). Before going to last night’s show, I was comparing the recorded work of both to one another. Winehouse’s backing instrumentalists are better. Hers is the more skillfully produced record. But I’ve also seen Ms. Winehouse live, and now being able to make that comparison too, Adele blows Amy out of the water.

So, what puts Adele ahead of Laura Burhenn vocally and Amy Winehouse on stage? Let’s start with the voice. It’s big, and it’s capable of doing just about anything, it would seem. Last night’s performance was practically a capella. At most, she was accompanied by keys and an acoustic guitar, usually one or the other, sometimes neither. She stood up there, unassuming in her jeans, tunic, sweater and hat, and completely captivated the room every time she opened her mouth. The audience was not only respectful (none of that typical D.C. during-show babbling), but incredibly excited by every song. She got more sincere applause and cheers after she finished every number than most bands get during an entire show. She’s real and captivating — she seems like she’s feeling the songs as she’s singing them, and that she really wants to be here (that’s what’s lacking from Winehouse’s live performances).