Ryan Adams, former leader of now defunct, alt-country posterchildren
Whiskeytown, has a new release out titled "Gold."
While I had remained admittedly skeptical about this young man because
of the blistering hype surrounding the last Whiskeytown record, I have
now been happily converted.
"Gold" is definitely a mixed bag. But some of the songs are so
breathtakingly beautiful ("Wild Flowers" and "When the Stars Go Blue")
that its easy to forgive him for his rambling and reckless rock star
demeanour (whether it is put on or true, doesn't matter with
songwriting this good).
This is a traveling record and you can feel his journey from a cramped
New York apartment to spaced out and spacey LA. For the bit of Joni
content, it reminds me of "Blue" in that way - a traveler's paean to
California's glistening sunsets which serve as a backdrop to various
reflections on love ("Goodnight Hollywood Boulevard" and "La Cienega
Just Smiled").
All of you fans of 70's California country-rock should give this guy a
try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Brenda
n.p.: Ryan Adams - "New York, New York"
