Easy Tiger - Ryan Adams Album Review

Ryan Adams

Album Review

Along with Connor Oberst (Bright Eyes) Ryan Adams is the golden boy of alternative country. Prolific is an understatement when it comes to Ryan Adams’ output. He must be a record company’s dream ticket. In recent years, especially 2005 he released a trilogy of dazzling alternative country albums, including the magnificent Jacksonville City Nights. In all there have been nine in seven years, which by anybody’s standards, is pretty fast work. Quality, surprisingly, hasn’t suffered too much, but there have been the odd blips. One or two duds pop up here too. His ‘70s counterpart (role model) Neil Young always knew where to draw the line. There’s a lesson there for Adams, which is why the bonus track, a Smiths sound alike, should not have appeared. Funnily enough, there are traces of Young weaving throughout.

That said, once again, when Adams hits the bull’s-eye, he’s virtually untouchable. Not surprisingly, The Cardinals, his musical buddies, play a strong part.

Messy rambler Goodnight Rose is not Adams at his most convincing.

A much better Two brings back the classic Adams. Just like most of his songs, nothing is quite instant. They are , the best ones, real growers. Two is just that. Simplicity is the order of the day on a Bread - like sweet ballad called Everybody Knows, one of his finest and purest songs ever. He sounds remarkably like David Gates. Another delight is Oh My God, Whatever, Etc. Here he goes into classic Adams ‘ beautiful’ territory , giving one of his finest vocal performances in the past nine years. It’s neat, compact and quite stunning. Drenched in pedal steel, Tears Of Gold could have been lifted from Jacksonville City Nights - out and out contemporary country at its best. Singing at his most achingly powerful, Adams raises the stakes throughout the sublime The Sun Also Sets. The Cardinals (drummer Brad Pemberton, bassist Chris ‘Spacewolf’ Feinstein, guitarist Neal Casal and steel player Jon Graboff) actually make this track happen. Just as wonderful is a twisting Off Broadway.

Jangling banjo picks open up the traditional styled throwback of Pearls On A String, an uplifting and playful little ditty. Two Hearts is ok, though it does have some commercial potential as a single. Back to basics, a stripped and magnificent These Girls brings out the lush harmonies of artist and backups in a sure fire, yes you got it, Youngesque ballad. Ironically, he’s a better singer than Young will ever be. All he needs now is a signature tune. Sooner or later there had to be a harmonica, and turns up on I Taught Myself How To Grow Old, which might be a poignant moment in his career. Finally cleaning up his act, this cryptic song could be signaling a turning point in his personal and professional life, though, as before there’s a nod towards Young. If that’s so, then the best is yet to come.

Ryan’s Achilles heel, is trying to do Young at Young’s least effective, like grungy Halloweenhead.

Yes, Easy Tiger, it might pay dividends.

Elly Roberts