Ryan Adams & Cardinals - Cardinology
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Free Music Notes for Cardinology
Free Music Review: Ryan continues to do whatever he wants, and (I think) we are all the better for it...
Hit: 4 Stars
When approaching a new Ryan Adams CD, I've always found that one should be a little wary, a little drunk, or perhaps both. He has a capricious sort of genius that is a little like lightning in a bottle. When he is hot, man he can light up the sky. When he is not, well, he is still often better than most other folks around. But the trick is, you never know who you are going to get...will it be the bad boy throwing out rock and roll at full tilt? Will it be the sensitive boy who just had his heart broken? The newly mature adult alternative darling? Well, for cardinology, I think they are all here to some extent.
Cardinology is a very solid, very well done collection of songs that are easy to like. He builds on the strengths of Easy Tiger, relying on his excellent backing band, the Cardinals. The songwriting is generally good, although it isn't his sharpest (see his towering masterpiece, Cold Roses, or his utterly amazing alt country opus, Heartbreaker, for that). The music is generally mid tempo, strong on guitars. Ryan's voice sounds fantastic--he sticks to his very strong middle register, but isn't scared to allow himself to wail when he slips into despair. He growls and pleads, shimmying up and down the scales when the moment requires, but grounds everything in the best portion of his middle range baritone. There is a dearth of the slide guitar that I had enjoyed on many of his earlier works, but I can certainly overlook this.
Lyrics alternate between assured posturing and raw pain. "I wish I could tell you just how I'm hurt," he says on Crossed Out Name, one of the stand out tracks on the album. Later, on Natural Ghost, he says "I was waiting around for somebody to die/...I think of somewhere I'd like to be and hold that in my mind/ but there's always tonight..." These two quotes encompass many of the themes of the album--the pain at the past, regret, and yet some expectation that some longing may be fulfilled.
This is an album that starts out easy to like with a number of simply structured basic rock songs. The middle of the album becomes stronger and stronger, until by Evergreen you realize that his songwriting continues to mature and get better--and with repeated listens gets better. I think that it will settle out signficantly better than Easy Tiger, much better than Demolition, as he seems more comfortable in his own skin, less like he has something to prove, but not quite as good as Cold Roses (that one will be hard to top regardless). It is one that should easily satisfy most of his fans, and is a good gateway for new fans as well.
Ultimately, then, this is an easy recommendation for those who already like Ryan. For those who are taking a chance, do so with confidence. This is a very very solid effort. For those who have never enjoyed him, I'm not sure this will change your minds, but go back and give "Heartbreaker" another chance.
Free Music Review: Enjoyable and solid effort
Hit: 4 Stars
"RYAN ADAMS IS THE SONGWRITING GENIOUS (sic) OF OUR MILLENIUM" proclaims one ecstatic reviewer on this page, while others on the opposite side of the spectrum urge the reader to go buy Cold Roses instead. Obviously this disc is divisive among the various camps of Ryan Adams fans, and that's surprising to me given how straightforward and pleasing this music sounds. But then, I am a relative newcomer to the world of Ryan Adams and the Cardinals so perhaps there's more to this than I'd think.
A bit of background. I have all the Whiskeytown material (or at least I think I do, I bought the 3 CDs available at the time) plus a copy of Heartbreaker, but after that I got off the train. Ryan's output became confusing and difficult to follow (stylistic jumps, overlong albums and a plethora of new material of dubious quality) and the music media often cast him as a whiny, narcissistic baby which is always a turnoff (quite frankly I usually don't care about such things but some of the stories did have an impact on whether I wanted to give my money to this guy). But recent positive reviews of Easy Tiger and reports that Adam has cleaned up his act and decided to focus on his music with more seriousness of purpose got me interested. This album is where I got back on the train and I'm happy I did so.
Adams is apparently one of those guys who has absorbed a lot of influences over the years. I'm not sure how old he is but I think he's probably at least about a half-decade younger than myself, which means he grew up in the era of alternative rock. However it's also clear that he's spent some time with classic rock as well - possibly the Grateful Dead and/or the Eagles - as well as the classic country stuff that formed the backbone of the Whiskeytown sound. Thus the album sounds both modern (the production is rich, not unlike a U2 record) and classic, which to me is appealing. Songs like "Cobwebs" reflect more of the 80s alt-rock influence, while "Go Easy" falls into more of the classic rock camp. The closing track "Stop" is beautiful and shows that Adams has learned something from whatever rehab he's been in. Somehow it all gels, the various threads coming together to create a song cycle that is appealing and sounds of a piece.
Now to finish where I started, this may be the closest thing we have to the "classic rock of the new milleneum," but I wouldn't call this a work of genius. It's just a good, solid album that I know I'll still enjoy years down the road, and that's enough to make me happy. It's also enough to make me want to check out Cold Roses and see what I've been missing. Score one for Adams - good job, mate.
Free Music Review: Adams Hits His Stride
Hit: 4 Stars
Things are at last levelheaded for once-troubled troubadour Ryan Adams if new LP "Cardinology" has anything to say about it.
He has quickly gained a reputation for both erraticism and excess -critics and fans felt beleaguered when he unveiled three records within six months alone in 2005, for instance - but he now sounds more comfortable with his sound and muse than those days in his late 20s when Elton John incessantly sang his praises and he was a slave both to the bottle and record company desires.
His songs are becoming tighter and more focused, with a half-dozen clocking in at three minutes or less, and his chemistry with his band the Cardinals is first-rate, especially if the album's title is any indication.
"Turn the radio up loud and get down," he sings on the fierce, extroverted "Magick." "Let your body move, let your body sway." Indeed, many of these songs sound like prime contenders for Adam's ever-elusive radio hit, and even when he sings of disillusioned brushes with love on the likes of passionate lead single "Fix It" and the steadily chugging anthem "Go Easy" he sounds effervescent and resolute, more than happy to succumb to the rhythm of life and report back on it through his music.
The LP is fast-moving with buoyant selections such as "Sink Ships" and the intriguing "Natural Ghost" providing further highlights, not to mention "Born Into a Light," the joyous, robust opening track. The rustic "Evergreen" boasts the most evocative, smoldering melody of the album, and the Manhattan-set "Cobwebs" beckons sports excellent guitar work and spot-on vocals.
Many may assert that "Cardinology" is too typical and redundant for Adams, and they would have a point. Little has changed at the core of his sound, and his lyrical themes do recycle themselves to a certain degree. Indeed, it would be interesting to see him be a bit more adventurous in his themes and song structures. However, with 10 solo records under his belt in a mere eight years it is impossible for Adams to create the same urgency as an artist with long gaps between albums.
His songwriting seems to have fallen into a bit of a formula, especially when comparing this with his last LP, 2007's "Easy Tiger," but damned if it isn't a winning one. Adams continually produces quality songs bursting at the seams with satisfying melodies, heady lyrics and an all around solid sound full of pop, rock and country flavorings, and his mid-30s he is still only at the beginning of his journey. A surefire pleasure for newer listeners as well as established, "Cardinology" certainly makes for an interesting detour.
Free Music Review: Polished Tunes of Enjoyment
Hit: 4 Stars
I am a huge Ryan Adam's fan with the "Love Is Hell" album being my absolute fave of mine by Ryan. This is an artist who knows how to pen a song down and crank out albums like it's no tomorrow. I bought this album the day it came out, popped the disc in and let the tunes sink in. Honestly, I was in a blah state of mind that day last year. Cardinology was missing the edginess of many of his previous works and just seemed too polished. Despite my initial reaction, I kept playing these tunes from beginning to end with no skipping...yes this album might be a grower for fans who love his older material. The stand out tracks for me are Fix It, Magick, Cobwebs, Natural Ghost, and what a beautiful way to end album with the deep feeling of Stop.
I had my first opportunity to see Ryan open for Oasis back in Dec. I was blow away by Ryan's presence on stage. Listen up guys, this album is to be played LOUD. Seeing the band play this album at maximum decimal and energy put an entirely new light on this album for me. It will do the same for you...so crank it!!!
Is this Ryan Adam's last album as he broke up with the Cardinals and has a hearing condition? I hope not! Ryan is still a very young artist who I believe his best is yet to come. However, he did recently marry Mandy Moore in a very secretive way back in the spring and has gone awol from his Tweets for months now. One can only hope he is sitting quietly somewhere with or without his new wife penning more greatness to come our way.
All of Ryan's albums have a unique sound to them. Cardinology's polished touch is no different. Highly recommend all his stuff.
Free Music Review: Cardinology
Hit: 4 Stars
Cardinology is my introduction to the world of Ryan Adams, and I have to say, I'm rather pleased with it. It's obvious that Adams is a man who reveres the classics, as sounds of classic country, Elton John, and especially Neil Young are very prevalent in the music, working into a seamless blend which results in something greater than the sum of its parts. The music runs through the typical gamut of moods for a modern indie rock musician, hitting all the high points of ballads, slow rockers, barn burners, and country folk mashups. Adams has a distinctively Neil Young-ish voice, which I suppose can either be a great asset or a terrible burden depending upon the listener. Personally, I dig his voice, which lends itself easily to the variety of styles seen on this record.
The individual songs are solid, but just like with the albums various styles, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. While no individual song really stuck out to me as an instantly appealing, needs-to-be-on-infinite-repeat kind of track, there were none I really disliked. I think fans of Adams will no doubt enjoy this record, and as I've seen, it may not be a bad place for newcomers to start.
7.5/10