February is the month when cats make love (while sounding like crying babies), and I start to think that this is why all the great albums drop around this month. Maybe the music exists so that the animals can make babies. Maybe. What I really wanted to say is that this February was extraordinary resourceful when it comes to new music.
The middle of the February brought us the new album by a prominent author Ryan Adams, and it is the 16th record in his discography. Prisoner represents the first original material after his self-titled album from 2014 and cover album 1989, which included cover songs of the popular MTV star Taylor Swift. I am not sure how I feel about that project (actually, I am pretty sure I did not like it at all), since I was even more into Orion, Ryan’s attempt to be a metal musician.
Prisoner is a triumphal return to the old paths of fame. The songs are inspired by a divorce with actress Mandy Moore, so melancholy, yearning and sadness take the bigger place in wide spectrum of emotions this album contains. Adams reveals his emotions with pride and candor. He talks about how it feels to miss someone and what train of thoughts causes you to constantly question whether you have made the right decision. Heartbreak often spurs preoccupation with heavy thoughts not only about the broken relationship, but also about oneself. Considering all that I have previously written, you get a pretty clear idea on why the album is titled Prisoner.
When it comes to style, Adams plays on a familiar court. His sonic backhand is strong in alt-country games, and the influence of old good 80s rock (Bruce Springsteen, The Replacements, AC\DC) comes in handy. Outbound Train and Doomsday sound like lost tracks from one of the all-time best breakup albums by The Boss himself.
Although the album didn’t reach the heights of Heartbreaker or Cold Roses, the most recent record by the ex frontman of Whiskeytown is definitely somewhere in the top of his collection. As this is his 16th release, it is impressive that Ryan Adams can still deliver ample emotional experience.
