Adele's 'Skyfall' theme: What's the verdict?

Just in time for International Bond Day, Adele's theme for "Skyfall" has made its debut (albeit via an initial leak, but here we are).

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HKoqNJtMTQ&w=560&h=315%5D

With vocals from Adele, we were confident that this would, at the very least, be listenable - and we're happy to hear that we were right.

The Brit songstress, who wrote the song with producer Paul Epworth, admitted in a statement to the BBC that she was "a little hesitant at first to be involved," thanks to the "instant pressure and spotlight [that comes with] a Bond song."

"But I fell in love with the script and Paul [Epworth] had some great ideas for the track and it ended up being a bit of a no-brainer to do it in the end," she said.

So how did "Skyfall," recorded at London's Abbey Road studios with a 77-piece orchestra, hold up for critics?

The Los Angeles Times found that Adele's Bond song lands "somewhere in the middle" of past themes, the better of which were memorably filled with attitude while the forgettable ones "took themselves too seriously."

Initial listens show "Skyfall" to be neither the best nor the worst, "but Adele fans should be pleased," the LAT says. "This song has far more to recommend it than not."

People magazine agrees, saying that it's unsurprising "Adele's take on James Bond doesn't sound half bad at all. ... Some are comparing Adele's singing style on the new Bond song to that of Dame Shirley Bassey, who recorded the 'Goldfinger' and 'Diamonds Are Forever' themes."

The Wall Street Journal observed that "Skyfall" "has sweep and drama, [with] orchestral support [that]  gives it a classical timelessness that sets it apart from typical pop songs. Because it is a theme for a Bond film, after all, the song is also shot through with the threat of violence and death."

Over at E!, Adele's Bond theme sounded like "a cross, and a good one at that, between the 1971 Bassey classic and a more-focused version of Garbage's 'The World Is Not Enough.'"

Take a listen to "Skyfall" above - what's your verdict?