The Bowdoin Orient

Ryan Adams, one of the most prolific, talented and best known alt-country recording artists of our time, has returned with the ninth album of his musical career. Cold Roses, on which Adams is backed up by his new band, the Cardinals, is his first album since the late 2003 release flurry of Rock N Roll and Love is Hell.

Adams began his career in a punk band at age 19, but moved to Raleigh in 1994. He soon found his calling as the lead singer of Whiskeytown, a band which, despite its turbulent history of fighting and alcohol abuse, released two excellent albums in the 90s, Faithless Street and Stranger's Almanac. These were followed by Adams's best work to date, 2001's Pneumonia, which was released after the band broke up.

Adams recorded his solo debut, Heartbreaker, in 2000 with the help of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, and received much critical acclaim, including a high profile endorsement from Elton John. His next album, Gold, struck a chord for many Americans post- September 11, with its opening track "New York, New York," which was actually written about a breakup. Adams's subsequent solo albums, Demolition, Love is Hell, and Rock N Roll were equally well-received, though they gradually strayed further from Whiskeytown's folk/alt-country roots to a more pop/alt-rock sound.

Critics have lauded Cold Roses as a return to Adams's roots, with a more organic, lo-fi sound. It does not disappoint, measuring up quite well to all of his earlier work, but most notably to Whiskeytown's three stellar albums. More obviously than Adams's recent work, Cold Roses reflects the influences of musical greats like Bob Dylan, Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash as well as contemporary artists like Wilco, Neko Case, and Jesse Malin.

Cold Roses is a double album, and its standouts include the rollicking first single "Let It Ride," the gentle and haunting "Mockingbird," "If I Am a Stranger," and "Dance All Night," which sounds a lot like the songs on Pneumonia. The only time the album falls flat is with the song "Meadowlake Street," whose frenetic guitar is both boring and distracting.

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals kicked off a U.S. tour a few days ago, playing to mostly sold-out crowds across the country, including a concert at the Avalon in Boston on May 17. They will then go to England to play at the Glastonbury music festival in June. Since it will likely be difficult to see them in concert if you haven't already reserved your tickets, I highly recommend picking up Cold Roses, especially if you like Whiskeytown and Adams's less poppy work, or even as an introduction to Adams's music. Adams is rumored to be working on two other albums to be released before the year is out, so look for much more from him in the near future.

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