Since leaving his old band Whiskeytown, the career of Ryan Adams has blossomed in a way that must be surprising even to him. The success of last year's Heartbreaker has prompted the old-style troubadour to relocate to New York - but on the evidence of Gold, the move doesn't seem to have harmed his songwriting one bit. These 16 songs are the perfect showcase for Adams's confessional brand of country-pop, breezily melodic but laced with a bitterness that proves to be highly addictive. Stately, dignified and unashamedly homespun, this man is the perfect cheerleader for lovesick cowboys everywhere.
