29 - Ryan Adams > Reviews > Not To Be Confused With Bryan

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	A very simplisctic, but understated album
Disadvantages:	It will take a while to get into, a few tracks take a lot of listens to get into

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

While there seems to be a real resurgence of singer song writers at the moment with the likes of James Blunt and Jack Johnson really coming to the fore over the last year. A more subtle artist has returned to the scene with the follow up to 2004's Love is Hell album. Ryan shot to the fore back in 2001 with the release of his tribute to New York City following the Twin Towers terrorist attacks. Since then he seems to have faded back into the back ground, continuing to release music but not really making it into the mainstream. His latest offering 29 was released in the run up to Christmas and as I've been really enjoying a few of his albums decided to get a hold of a copy.

Ryan has been spending a lot of time working with his band The Cardinals and this solo album is in fact his third album release of the year. He has really gone for a simplistic arrangement on this new album, stepping away from the more complete sound The Cardinals enjoy. Instead this album has a real acoustic feel to it while Ryan focuses on the guitar and piano loops rather than the electric guitar rifts and the more complete band sound. The pace has certainly dropped considerably from Ryan's other releases this year and it seems that the solo material is another form of release for Ryan's emotions and pent up feeling.

There is still a real Country rock feeling to Adams material that shows he hasn't moved on too far from his time as frontman of Whiskeytown. He mixes his early Country influences and experiences with a real 60's sound that wouldn't be too far away from Lennon's solo material or early 70's Grateful Dead giving it a slight revival. That's not to say Adams is in the same league as either of those, but he certainly has used them as influences to merge with his Country routes. With all this in mind Adams seems to have written quite a dreamy album that combines all these qualities together.

From the opening track on the album, "29", it is clear to see the Country influences are very much at the forefront. The guitar highlights this along with a beat looping in the background of his vocals really accentuating the sound. The vocals throughout the album are quite quiet in comparison to Adams other work. While title track "29" sets the country tone of the album the dreamier feel is very much in evident in tracks such as "Strawberry Wine" and "Elizabeth You Were Born To Play That Part". From the opening bars of each track there is a very laid back feel with Adams vocals sounding even quieter. In places the later of the two tracks sounds a little like Damien Rice.

The album certainly isn't an instant hit but more a slow burner. There aren't any tracks that will leap out at you and still after quite a few listens I find there are a few I'm still not so keen on. What Adams does very well throughout the album though is creating a very mellow atmosphere. Over recent years the likes of Damien Rice have made what can best be described as mood albums and Ryan Adams 29 really falls into that category. There is no one clear influence on the whole album, with Ryan's writing ability fliting back and forth between Country and much mellower rock tracks.

The diversity of this album will open it to a much larger audience but Adams seems to be making music for his own enjoyment rather than targeting a specific market. Personally there are a couple of tracks that sound particularly good with "Night Birds" being a particular favourite. Its slow, looping start give it a very epic feel and although Adams vocals are drowned out by the piano in places he still has quite a powerful effect with his lyrics. It is a very melodic piece that seems to have a lot of passion behind it, which is a quality Adams seems to portray in a lot of his tracks.

While there are a lot of tracks that have grown on me the more I listen to the album there are a few that I still remain quite indifferent to. For instance "Starlight Diner" has quite a powerful feel to it but as yet it I still haven't felt the draw to it that the rest of the album has had on me. The album as a whole is very understated and incredible subtle, which has resulted in a few of the tracks I was indifferent to after the first few listens suddenly growing on me. The more I've listened to this album the more tracks I've started to like and I think that is testament to Adams writing ability; it's not an instant hit, but very much a slow burner.

Overall it is a good album. It isn't by any means the best release I've heard from Ryan but it is slightly different. The album is really a showcase for his talent and the diversity of his material. I'd never have considered myself to be a fan of Country music but Ryan's subtle blends make it any easy transition and while backed up by the more classic, mellow rock sound he really has something that will appeal to everyone. This won't be a mainstream album and certainly wont reach the dizzying heights of the likes of James Blunt but it will be a hidden gem that few people take a chance on Ryan's manifestation of his love for music.

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