| CD REVIEW (This review has also been published at www.701.com) |
| DEMOLITION - RYAN ADAMS |
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| This King Midas of the music world has come up with another collection of, if not solid gold, at least gold-plated, country/roots compositions. I absolutely adore his sotto voce, enhanced with a sexy vibrato, even when he's doing the C & W twang ("Hallelujah"), so I have a bigger appreciation for the numerous ballads here. I'm really not convinced he has the vocal strength to be a "rock" singer, though, and his voice is really raunchy on "Gimme A Sign" and "Starting to Hurt" (maybe he's referring to his vocal cords?). I know the term "[whatever] sucks" has become a household phrase, but I can't help cringing when I hear it, present here on "Tennessee Sucks (In the Summer)", an otherwise likeable jazzed-up country-blues, with Ryan performing both on electric guitar and piano. The following tune, "Dear Chicago", sounds like it may have been influenced by James Taylor. Bucky Baxter's guitar work is particularly magical here. He's certainly got a knack for choosing great harmony vocalists, especially Gillian Welch on the stirring "Tomorrow", the only composition with which he shares writing credit (with Carrie Hamilton). This could be his equivalent to the Jackson Browne hit, "Stay" (on which Nicolette Sheridan provided harmony). Happily the melancholia is followed up with the optimistic barnburner, "Chin Up, Cheer Up", with Greg Leisz on steel guitar and dobro and Ethan Johns on drums and bass. As on Gold, Mr. Adams wisely saves the best track for last, i.e. "Jesus (Don't Touch My Baby)", a mesmerizing techno-blues production (by Ethan Johns) performed entirely by Ryan, who synchronizes an eerie-sounding synthesizer with a slow-motion baritone vocal approach and fills in the overall sound with various sliding guitar strains, bass and an unobtrusive drum machine. This song in particular was very similar to Jamie Oakes' material on Shadows in Dreams. The final crescendo was a bit too loud, though, but segues nicely back into the first track, if one has the CD on "continuous play". Although this last track leaves no doubt that Ryan Adams is a master of many instruments, he brings in a multitude of equally talented players, including, but not restricted to, Mikael Nord Andersson (dobro), Svante Henryson (cello), Michael Blair (Djembe heartbeat), Julianna Ray (background vocals) and Gold alumnus Chris Stills (B3). It's not as good as Gold, but it's pleasant enough. |
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