The voice-adjusted cry of Ryan Adam’s voice echoes over the first track of his new, self-titled album. “Give me something good, give me something good,” the artist sings. I don’t know if Adams meant it, but the artist has certainly given us listeners “something good.”
Staff Writer
If you’re still scratching your head wondering who Ryan Adams is, you’ve got some work to do. He’s been consistently releasing music since the 1990s. Adams is the best singer/songwriter/producer you’ve never heard of and his new album is some of his best work yet.
Adams originally gained his fame as part of the alternative country band “Whiskeytown.” He continued through the 2000s as a solo artist where his style retained much of his original country-folk sound. It’s more full, more complete.
Adams blends an entire band together. The crunchy rhythm guitar strums in a way reminiscent to Tom Petty, and the lead guitar supplements it with enough voice adjustment to make U2 jealous.
The album comes together like an intricate puzzle. Countless sounds and influences being put together to create a finished piece that is entirely unique and fresh in its own right.
Although the entire album is great (seriously, there are no fillers on this one), there are a few notable tracks. The opener, “Gimme Something Good,” will have you jamming with a stiff upper lip.
“My Wrecking Ball” puts Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball” to shame. It’s a love song charged with enough raw emotion to make the manliest of men reach for a box of tissues and a Nicholas Sparks novel.
“Feels Like Fire” is my favorite track. “Just so you know, you will always be the hardest thing I will let go,” Adams sings, supplemented by a powerful rhythm section and driving backbeat.
I have only one critique of Adams as an artist, and that is of his hair, as it has remained magnificently bad since the mid-90s. Adams, I love your music, but not your hair.
In its entirety, this album is great. As an artist, Adams has had to reinvent himself and his sound many times. The fact that Adams released this album independently, I suspect, plays a large role in that.
Whether you’ve heard of him or not, I highly recommend that you check out Ryan Adams. Listen to his old stuff, listen to his new stuff, and most importantly, listen to “Ryan Adams” by Ryan Adams.
