CD REVIEW
The genre is no genre on 'Easy Tiger'
by KEN BARTOLOTTA Reporter

It's almost impossible to write a review about Ryan Adams and not mention the word prolific.

While the alt-country star has endured a number of labels over the years, whether it's alt-rock savior or the heavy crown that has burdened the many who have been called the next Dylan, perhaps prolific is the most fitting for the artist's body of work.

Since departing as the frontman of the seminal Whiskey Town in 1999, Adams has released 10 albums, including a stint in 2005 in which he released three albums, including the brilliant double-disc "Cold Roses."

Now, following a hiatus that lasted little over a year, Adams gives us "Easy Tiger," which unlike its predecessors, lacks any distinct label.

Adams' career has been marked by phases, with his most recent a sort of Grateful Dead tribute that fused his alternative leanings with the backing of traditional country band known as The Cardinals.

He flirted with the '70s on "Gold," honored British rock on both "Demolition" and "Love is Hell," and then followed it up with making a record so blatantly linked to a specific genre he simply called it "Rock and Roll."

So here we are with "Easy Tiger," an album that can best be described as all of the above. On this one, Adams has chosen not to stick to any particular category but instead use all of the aforementioned influences to create a work that reflects back on an entire career.

Each track on the record can be linked to another disc, almost as if it's a collection of B-sides from other albums.

The first song, "Good Night Rose," sounds like something from "Cold Roses," while the charging "Halloween Head" harkens back to "Rock and Rol l."

The country twang of "Two Hearts" is a sampling of anything found on "Jacksonville Nights," while the single "Two" is reminiscent of the pop-inspired "Gold."

But perhaps that's the point - through all these years of delving into a plethora of different influences, Adams has finally found a sound that in its spanning variety is in fact all his own.

And while the music itself may be nothing new to Adams' fans, it's still good, and what fuses all these songs is the singer's range. His voice is one that stretches from the deepest baritone to the highest falsetto, and it might be his most recognizable character istic.

There's also a new, more adult feel to the album that shows a more subtle Adams, whose previous anger and angst towards the world has been traded in for a more mature view.

While that rage was something that rarely made its way into his music, his adolescent tendencies had become the stuff of legend in the press, that's all left behind here and many would credit the transition to the musician's new-found sobriety.

The overall feel of "Easy Tiger" is that of a late-night reflection of a past love where the childish resentment and hostility that once lingered is forgotten in lieu of a more nostalgic acceptance of the past.

However, regardless, it's nice to see that Adams might have finally found his niche. Let's just hope being himself isn't just another phase.