So we all know Ryan Adams is prolific, right? Not only does he have four albums under his belt with now-defunct alt-country stand outs Whiskeytown, but he has five (now six) solo albums, a ton of EPs (including iTunes only EPs) and a hardcore punk album as a “secret” member of The Finger. Not to mention, the dude is releasing three brand new albums this year. The first in the trio of Ryan Adams releases in ‘05 this is Cold Roses, recorded as “Ryan Adams And The Cardinals”. With too many songs to squeeze on to just one measly disc, Cold Roses is a double disc set. It’s not an album plus a bonus disc, either. It’s two discs of brand new great songs. Hell, the first single, “Let It Ride”, doesn’t even show up until two songs deep into disc two. For Adams, Cold Roses is a return to the introspective, emotionally-driven alt-country songwriting music that first put him on the map (his solo debut, Heartbreaker, continues to be the highest-selling album each year for Chicago indie, Bloodshot Records). Songs like “When Will You Come Back Home” and “Mockingbird” are acoustic ballads that sound immediately familiar and give you that warm, cozy, cuddling by the fire in wintertime feeling inside, whereas “Easy Plateau” and “Beautiful Sorta” sound fresh, new, exciting and fun. Upbeat, honkey tonk pop songs like “If I’m A Stranger” and “Dance All Night” sound as good as anything on Gold or Demolition as well. There’s also a new aspect to a few of these songs that I hadn’t detected in previous albums, namely, the influence of the Grateful Dead. Album opener “Magnolia Mountain” and title track “Cold Roses” contain hints of American Beauty-era Dead in both song composition and the signature guitar licks of Jerry Garcia, which provides a new little tweak to Adams’ already-diverse group of influences. As I said before, this is the album Ryan Adams fans (including myself) have been waiting for. I can’t wait for the next one.

Ryan Adams And The Cardinals
Lost Highway

1. Ryan Adams Takes Flight With The Cardinals
2. Ryan Adams Complete 2005 “Three-Peat” With 29
3. Three Albums From Ryan Adams Landing In 2005
4. Ryan Adams Announces Tracklisting For September
5. Ryan Adams Readies September