New Album Review: Ryan Adams- FM

Ryan Adams- FM

Label: PAX-AM

Producer: Ryan Adams

The alt-country-rock pioneer is quickly closing in on Willie Nelson’s title as the modern artist whose recorded output is most challenging to keep up with. The release of FM marks Ryan Adams’ fifth LP release in the span of twenty months, and it mostly finds the now-veteran renegade comfortably settled into the moody, churning country-rock hybrid that became his primary signature at the dawn of the new millennium. This style is emphasized boldly by the high-lonesome Neil Young-recalling vocals of the opener, “I Want You”, and the ringing guitar sound that permeates its immediate successor, “Love Me Don’t”. But then we’re pulled into the saxophone-laced R&B textures of the splendid “Fantasy File”, and we’re quickly reminded that no amount of rapid-fire releases can hasten Adams’ penchant for sonic swerves. He rides the crest of that sensuous blend throughout the rest of the record, resulting in a sound that goes down smoothly but is never robbed of the gritty edges that have defined Adams’ career. Tracks like “Wild and Hopeless” and “So Dumb” boast some of the most insatiable guitar licks he’s delivered in a decade, while emotive cuts like “Someday” remind us what a unique and beautifully lonesome quality is revealed in his most introspective moments.

Track Listing:

1. “I Want You” (Ryan Adams)
2. “Love Me Don’t” (Adams)
3. “Fantasy File” (Adams)
4. “When She Smiles” (Adams)
5. “Hall o Shame” (Adams)
6. “Wild and Hopeless” (Adams)
7. “So Dumb” (Adams)
8. “Fairweather” (Adams)
9. “Do You Feel” (Adams)
10. “Someday” (Adams)