Instant Expert: Ryan Adams
You’ve seen them at parties, lurking in the corner, waiting to engage in battle disguised as conversation. They’re indie rock know-it-alls, and no matter what band or musician you mention, they’ve got an opinion — strong and almost certainly negative — ready to ram down your throat. With our new feature Instant Expert, we offer preparation for these very situations. Each Thursday, in advance of your weekend carousing, we pick an artist and provide a quickie career overview, highlighting both prevailing critical opinions and the inevitable contrarian counterarguments. Even if you’re completely unfamiliar with the music, you’ll be able to bluff your way through and defend your indie cred. Next up: Ryan Adams.
The Gist
Ryan Adams launched his solo career in 2000, after six years of fronting the fractious North Carolina alt-country band Whiskeytown. He’s kept busy since, releasing a dozen albums of heartbroken music under his own name and with his mid-2000s band the Cardinals — said to represent just a fraction of the material he’s written and recorded. It’s all part of a resume that also includes various heavy metal and hardcore side projects (Orion, WereWolph, the Finger), production gigs (Willie Nelson, Jesse Malin) and even a brief retreat from music to deal with an inner-ear problem. Not too long a retreat, though: Adams returned last year with the excellent 'Fire & Ashes.'
Samir Hussein, Getty ImagesSamir Hussein, Getty Images Critical Consensus
Adams’ output has been prodigious enough that nailing down a consensus is no easy feat, but his solo debut, 2000’s ‘Heartbreaker,’ tends to get the most critical love for its combination of searing ballads like ‘Oh My Sweet Carolina,’ and seat-of-his-pants rockers such as “To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High).”
Contrarian Counterargument
Yeah, ‘Heartbreaker’ is good, but it’s rough. ‘Gold’ (2001) more fully develops Adams’ sound and shows the full range of his songwriting chops.
Counter Counterargument
Yeah, ‘Heartbreaker’ and ‘Gold’ are good, but Adams shines brightest on his Grateful Dead-inspired double-album ‘Cold Roses’ (2005). ‘Magnolia Mountain’ is full of tasty jams, dude!
Whatever You Do, Don’t Say This
Play ‘Summer of ’69!’
Gareth Cattermole, Getty ImagesGareth Cattermole, Getty Images
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