Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology

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Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology

“Ryan Adams enjoys yapping about White Lion and Tesla more than his own music, but that’s just fine when he’s releasing albums as strong as “Cardinology.” Constant recording and touring with his band the Cardinals has brought welcome focus to Adams’ muse; rarely has it been so easy to personalize his narratives of screwed-up romance (”Crossed-Out Name”) and all the attendant consequences (”Go Easy”). Musically, the band works up a handsome country rock sound with shades of the Rolling Stones and Wilco throughout, making room for swagger (”Fix It,” “Magick”) and sentimentality (”Natural Ghost,” “Evergreen”) in equal measure. Adams has also found a way to better reconcile his grand sonic ambitions with the material; “Cobwebs” has arena-sized emotion without bombastic production, and “Born Into a Light” has just the right dollop of harmony and twang. —Jonathan Cohen”