Singer-songwriter Ryan Adams is notoriously prolific and musically diverse, having created an astounding 13 albums since the millennium began, dabbling in styles as diverse as subdued, wounded country (_Love Is Hell_), straight-up rock (the appropriately titled _Rock n’ Roll_) and even metal (_Orion_). But Adams finds his best groove in the sort of 21st century alt-country he pioneered on classics like _Heartbreaker_ and _Gold_, telling bruising tales of drug abuse, broken relationships and redemption in a country-rock mash that remains distinctly American.
It’s curious, then, that for his latest release, _Ashes and Fire_, he has employed the services of very British producer Glyn Johns. Better known for his work with The Beatles, The Who, and Rod Stewart, he brings an almost unnatural cleanliness and polish to a writer better known for his rawness and directness. With the songwriting edge gone, the listener is left with Adams’ compositions, more subdued with folk and country touches and an immaculate sonic background. The result is very much like _Ashes and Fire_’s sunset cover: very pretty and nuanced, but never a strain or challenge on the senses.
Adams seems to work best when he’s more relaxed and in control, and the best material is the loosest and shortest. The loping and gangling title track, for instance, is Adams at his best, the saloon piano, warm acoustic touches and the singer’s own North Carolina drawl creating a catchy, melodically rich slice of alt-country. Elsewhere, Johns’ production helps, his string arrangement on “Chains of Love” and “Rocks” providing effective contrast and propulsion, and he provides cleanliness and richness for the instruments when the songs require it (the engaging single “Lucky Now”).
Elsewhere, however, this skill is a burden, adding unnecessary touches to tracks that do not demand them or are not engaging in the first place. “Save Me” and “Come Home” are sleepy ballads with little direction, and Norah Jones’ vocal contributions to “Kindness” barely register.
Clearly, _Ashes and Fire_ is an album of small rewards, smoldering far more often than it burns. Without his backing band the Cardinals, Adams seems a bit aimless, but his songwriting skills are still intact, and his ability to slip in surprises at unlikely times (the slightly funky, very pretty “Invisible Riverside”) show he’s still one of the most valuable and versatile songwriters of the new millennium.
