Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
Cold Roses
(Lost Highway Records)
Cold Roses is the classic case of a double album that, stripped of a few weak, similar sounding tracks, would have made an outstanding single record. With backup band the Cardinals lending a jaunty vibe to the proceedings, it’s nevertheless a welcome partner to the sincere, good ol’ fashioned country-rock Adams has always done best. Soaked in lovely pedal steel fills, “Let it Ride” skips along to a melody that should accompany anyone planning to take a country drive on a warm, dusk-filled evening and the earthy, down-home jam of “Magnolia Mountain” mixes the best elements of the Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead. With one release down and two more to come, this may be Ryan’s comeback year.
—Todd Chapman