Lee’s Listening Stack – Ryan Adams – ‘Ashes & Fire
Ryan Adams
Ashes & Fire
(Capitol)
Even a year without a new Ryan Adams seems an eternity, especially when measured by a prolific prowess that found him sometimes releasing multiple albums within the same year. Indeed, since the disbandment of Whiskeytown over a decade ago, there’s rarely been more than a few months that have gone by without a new Adams offering. The fact that he’s chosen to take time off after dissolving his steady backing band the Cardinals suggests that Adams has been reconsidering his unbridled stance and chanced to focus more on song craft than simply a desire to vet new music. Not surprisingly then, Ashes & Fire finds him in a mellower mode than ever before, mostly ramshackle acoustic guitars and songs tempered by a reassuring caress. Its telling too that Norah Jones fills the crucial keyboard role on the majority of these tracks, giving the material a stately presence that provides a dramatic digression from his earlier insurgent stance. The cautionary ramble of “Dirty Rain,” the sympathetic caress of “Come Home” and a forlorn plea imbedded in “I Love You But I Don’t Know What to Say” provide for a quiet set of songs that shimmer rather than soar, each a reflection of emotional intent. Even the title track, the album’s most upbeat tune – at least in terms of its stumbling rhythm – seems to cull some unresolved sentiment. Longtime fans may disparage the fact that Adams’ turned softie, but in terms of his overall tack, the immensely satisfying Ashes & Fire already feels like a classic. – Lee Zimmerman
Lee Zimmerman is a contributor to a variety of publications, including Blurt, M Music & Musicians, New Times, Goldmine and Amplifier
This review appears courtesy of Amplifier, 50,000 Watts of Non-Stop Indie Rock http://amplifiermagazine.blogspot.com/