Not to be confused with the Canadian rocker of almost the same name, Ryan Adams is a roughneck country singer who has enjoyed success as the leader of Whiskeytown but is now embarking on a long-promised solo career. The first fruits are certainly promising; not only do his new songs have real energy, they also have an emotional authenticity that sets them apart from the crowd. Lyrically they revolve around the highs, lows and rock bottoms of a failed love affair, combining graphic wordplay with Deep South soul. Adams adopts a bewildering array of poses here and it all gets a bit confusing at times. Still, a promising debut and a masterclass in the art of sombre songwriting.
