This is one of my favorite CD's of all times, I just started listening to it again, that's why I'm talking about it now. Despite the nearly copyright-infringing similarity in names, Ryan Adams has nothing to do with and sounds nothing like Bryan Adams. Ryan's music on this album really jumps all over the place, but its foundation is in acoustic folk guitar ballads. The album begins with its only single, "New York, New York", a song about a lost love that sounds more like a love song for the city, which was lucky enough to come out the week after 9/11 and gave Adams the moderate level of success he is enjoying today (he went from performing in coffee shops in the East Village to touring with the ROlling Stones, and is now back in the coffee shops). The songs come close to veering into sappiness at times, but, like the Stones' "Exile on Main Street", the ragged, improvised feel of the guitar work keeps the music fresh and edgy. Like that album, this also infuses a light country sensibility into its songs (Adams is the ex-singer of alt-country band Whiskeytown). To get a sense of what this album's all about, I'd recommend downloading "La Cienga Just Smiled" or "When the Stars Go Blue", my two personal favorite on this CD. At once melancholy and upbeat, this is a great album to put on when you just need to relax for a while.
***1/2
***1/2
