Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger Review

Overall 4.00 of 5 view all 3 reviews

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rkeffer2112
Carolina Beach, NC

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ot bad, but not addictive either

a fan of good music, an alternative listener

Pros

great voice!

APR

2008

Let me just say that Ryan Adams is probably my favorite artist these days . His lyrics are not only captivating, but profoundly poetic, his singing is passionate and provoking, and the music is equally emotionally dazzling. In my opinion, he is hands down the best songwriter of this generation. I came to his music a little late (I bought Rock N Roll shortly after it came out, loved it and then worked my way backward to Whisketown which I also love). Then came "Cold Roses." I don't think I've every been so addicted to an album as this one. It was absolutely perfect and to this day I still can't get enough of it. "Jacksonville City Nights" was also an exciting release for me. I enjoy Adams's crazy folk/country vocal. And, hey, I even liked "29" which was not too popular amongst many of his fans.

This album is kind of a like a catalog of Ryan's various albums. "Goodnight Rose" sounds like something from "Cold Roses"; "Halloweenhead," sounds like something from "Rock N Roll"; "Tears of Gold," from "Jacksonville"; "The Sun also Sets" from "Demolition"; "Everybody Knows," "Two Hearts," and "Rip off" from "Love is Hell" ; "Oh My God," "Off Broadway," "Pearls on a String," and "These Girls" from "Heartbreaker."

There is no wasted track on this album. The songs still tell beautiful stories, Adams's singing still makes you feel his thoughts, the music still wrings the emotion from your heart.

But there isn't anything incredibly exciting about the album (except for "Tears of Gold"). It's a little too clean cut. Maybe it's because I heard most of these songs before during his tour or maybe it's because he moved back towards Rock N Roll from "Cold Roses." The lyrics are still elegant, but there aren't as many gripping word-images on this one. It lacks the captivating feel of "Cold Roses" and "Jacksonville" both of which gave you the impression that something extraordinary was happening, something that couldn't be replicated, only transcended. This album doesn't transcend.

Don't get me wrong, "Easy Tiger" is no sorry excuse for an album. It is a solid album. The songs "Everybody Knows," "Goodnight Rose," "Off Broadway," and "Two Hearts" are CLASSIC Ryan Adams. So buy the album, listen to it, love it (you will b/c it is still Ryan Adams), but don't expect to be addicted to it and continually amazed like you were w/ "Cold Roses" or "Jacksonville City Nights."