Album Review: Ryan Adams - Ryan Adam

The mercurial Adams is always chasing his muse in whatever direction it takes him and this time it is back to the electric guitar with strong rock trappings compared to the acoustic Americana of Ashes And Fire.

Heavily reverbed chords ring out somewhere between Johnny Marr and Tom Petty, making this sound like a more upbeat, brighter cousin to his Love Is Hell album. If performed on acoustic guitar these would sound like pure Adams songs, so it is testament to his playing and self-production that he has shaped them into ‘70s and often ‘80s-tinged west coast rock, bristling with an emotive moodiness.