CD Review: Ryan Adams’ Self-Titled Album

Ryan Adams has made a career doing pretty much whatever he wants. As a young man, he became an alt-country icon, mostly for his work with his band Whiskytown, but has since gone on to explore a variety of genres, even making forays in punk rock and metal. His new album, Ryan Adams, marks the 39-year-old’s 14th solo album, and with the three Whiskytown LPs, the total adds up to a staggering 17 LPs of material. This album shows a more even-keeled Adams dealing with middle age.

The leadoff single, “Gimme Something Good,” is a possible reference to Adams’ career almost being cut short by his Meniere’s disease diagnosis (“All my life, been shaking, wanting something/holding everything I had like it was broken”). The song’s organ intro brings to mind Tom Petty (think “Refugee”), which makes sense because Petty’s longtime organ piano player, Benmont Tench, plays on the whole album.

About “Gimme,” YouTube user “southrules” commented that “We all knew it could happen and it unfortunately has: Ryan Adams and Bryan Adams have become one.” This sarcastic remark actually holds some truth; he hasn’t gone full-on power ballad, but listen to the jangly, poppy choruses on songs like ”Feels Like Fire” and tell me “southrules” is way off base. Historically, Adams hasn’t been amused by the comparison, but in a way, he seems to be becoming the thing he once rebelled against.

The more upbeat tracks besides “Gimme,” including “Am I Safe” and “Stay With Me,” sound like Eagles-y guitar jams, songs you would listen to if you were going for a summer cruise in your convertible. It all seems very safe for such a boundary-breaker like Adams. The vibe makes even more sense when you consider Adams’ explanation for the origins: “I would go in with a couple bros at seven o’clock and just jam. We would like, smoke a bowl and drink some tea – and the words came free-flowing out of me.”

But his departure into ’70s radio rock isn’t entirely a downer, as the album has plenty of high points. “Kim” is a stirring, up-tempo ballad about a lost love, and shows Adams is still capable of arousing the emotions of even the most jaded indie listener. The album’s highlight is “My Wrecking Ball,” an incredible folk tune inspired by the death of his grandmother, which harkens back to early classics like “Come Pick Me Up.” At the folk fest, he prefaced the song with “This is a protest song … protesting the death of my grandma.”

Also evident on the new album is a sense of slowing down, which is no small detail for an artist known for breakneck prolificacy. In “Shadows,” Adams questions his mortality (“How long do I have here with you?”) and wonders about his potential (“Tired of Giving Up”). And his recent headlining slot at the Newport Folk Fest lacked any aspects of the tantrums for which he is well-known.

Adding to the new sound, Adams has a brand new band playing on the album, one that even includes Johnny Depp on a few tracks! It seems like he’s trying to relax instead of break new ground, which for other artists would be a bad thing. Over the course of his career, he’s challenged himself to evolve, sometimes with mixed results (see 2010’s Orion), and perhaps this new brand of soft rock is just the next chapter.

The album doesn’t have to twang of the Whiskeytown records or the driving edge of rock ‘n’ roll, but as a solid entry in the ongoing saga that is Ryan Adams, it’s certainly worth a listen. It’s not his best work, but that’s what you get when you’ve released seminal albums like Cold Roses and Heartbreaker.