50 Best Records Of The Decade So Far: #50 Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - III/IV

The last 20 months has seen the release of a lot of good music. So much so in fact, that I've already got 50 favourites from this decade so far... I thought I'd write a little bit about each over the coming days.



Disc One
Breakdown Into The Resolve
Dear Candy
Wasteland
Ultraviolet Light
Stop Playing With My Heart
Lovely And Blue
Happy Birthday
Kisses Start Wars
The Crystal Skull
Users

Disc Two
No
Numbers
Gracie
Icebreaker
Sewers At The Bottom Of The Wishing Well
Typecast
Star Wars
My Favourite Song
P.S.
Death And Rats
Kill The Lights

All Songs Written By Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams - vocals, guitars, piano, bass, synth
Neal Casal - guitars, background vocals
Jon Graboff - pedal steel, 12 string guitar
Brad Pemberton - drums, percussion
Catherine Popper - bass, background vocals
Jamie Candiloro - piano, organ, synth, drums, percussion, keys
Norah Jones - background vocals on 'Typecast'
Produced by Jamie Candiloro
Label - PAX AM

I'm not a fan of Ryan Adams. In fact, the majority of music I've heard from him has ranged from boring mediocrity to flat-out awful. I admittedly haven't heard everything he's put out, but I had no reason for thinking that this album would be any different. It's a pleasant surprise then, that 'III/IV' (named on the basis that the band's debut album was volumes I/II) is just over an hour of laid-back rock 'n' roll that's actually fun to listen to. Instead of the dreary country-tinged music Adams is accustomed to, this actually has more in common with mid-to-late The Replacements and early Soul Asylum.
I find that Ryan's voice is far better suited to songs like this to the countrified ones he put out earlier (and his frankly bizarre attempt at metal that also came out last year... avoid that at all costs). Highlights include 'Breakdown Into The Resolve', 'Wasteland' and 'Kisses Start Wars'. None of the 21 tracks break or rewrite any of the rules, but they are all very enjoyable.

Ryan isn't the only person I'm not a fan of to impress me despite the odds recently... more on some of the  rest at a later date.

Listen Here: Ryan Adams – III/IV