Ryan Adams
Cardinology

Campus Correspondent CD Review By Trevor Starnes
Samford University

Wow! Crazy! How is that possible? Yes, it’s possible- ten full length studio albums in less than eight years and it seems Ryan Adams’ magnificent musical journey is not slowing down anytime soon. Cardinology is Adams’ tenth overall solo album and third with his band The Cardinals. Two years since kicking the bottle to the curb, Adams brings a revised image and sound to his ever-progressing self and emerges a new man.

Add some Allman Brothers, a little of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and some U2 into a pot, stir it up, and that’s the sound of Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. Never pinpointing a particular genre or forte, Adams easily jumps from a soulful blues-rock-country sound on one track, to an down-tempo tone driven by soft picking of the acoustic guitar on the next. Adams has never prided himself on writing hit songs for the radio station play, rather his focus seems to be on the complete sound from the beginning to the end on his records.

The lead single “Fix You” is a repetitive poetic ballad where Adams plays a god-like figure wishing to fix all of pain and struggle of the one he loves. “Magick” is an up-tempo rock anthem with a poetic chorus that’s easy to sing along with and undeniably catchy. Yet a single song does not make or break his career as he’s focused on the project as a whole and it’s impact on those that listen. In the end, Adams’ style is a progressive one and he continues with Cardinology to use musical abilities to produce authentic, well crafted and mature songs.