One thing you must know about Ryan Adams’ music before you listen to it — it is perfect rainy day music.
You know what kind of music I’m talking about. It’s for when you look out your bedroom window and see it pouring outside, so you grab a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, sit in a comfortable recliner and then open a book and put on your rainy day music mix. The mix is filled with soft and relaxed melodies, which is exactly what Adams’ 13th album “Ashes and Fire” is compiled of.@@http://wxrt.radio.com/2011/10/11/full-album-stream-ryan-adams-ashes-and-fire/@@
Adams was ready to retire from making music back in 2009 after struggling with Meniere’s disease — which affected his balance and hearing —@@http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Ryan+Adams+deals+with+malady+gets+back+work+after/5538846/story.html@@ but he has since returned with three albums, the latest of which released on Oct. 11.@@http://www.albumoftheyear.org/bands/293-ryan-adams.php@@
After Adams’ 13 successful albums, I think the common ingredient of his success is how heartfelt his songs are. It seems all of his songs were written with emotion and care, which makes the album powerful, exemplifying the messages behind the songs. Even in the album’s only upbeat track “Ashes and Fire,” the expressive messages from the slow tracks are there.
His strong voice helps pump some life into the slower songs, which may have otherwise been bare. Throughout the album, his vocal range is expressed impressively, helping the slow songs not sound too similar to one another. The luxury of modern songs having auto-tuning and other techniques can be all right, but when you listen to Adams sing on tracks such as “Rocks” and “Lucky Now,” it’s easy to tell he has natural talent. A strong voice like his makes a solid vocal performance a certainty for his upcoming Oct. 20 show in Eugene at Shedd Great Hall.@@http://www.ticketsreview.com/concerts/ryan-adams_tickets/shedd-great-hall.php@@
In his show, Adams will most likely play songs from “Ashes and Fire,” which unfortunately might put a damper on his concert. Concerts are more fun when they are uplifting and happy; they’re supposed to provide a comfortable atmosphere where you can have fun with everyone in attendance. Yes, the emotion is there, but his new album is too slow by itself for a live performance. If this album is played live without any added spice, I can’t imagine anyone would be standing — just sitting down and silently enjoying the entire show.
Despite the risk that it may not be a very exciting live show, “Ashes and Fire” as a whole is a solid album in the alternative genre. It’s perfect for fans of cuddling up on rainy days, as well as for anyone who enjoys artists such as Josh Groban, Joshua Radin or Jason Mraz.
Grade: B