Cardinology- Ryan Adams and the Cardinals B+

With Cardinology, Ryan Adams and The Cardinals make a very, very good return with their first album in two years, an eternity for the notoriously prodigious Adams. In the past The Cardinals have brought a steadying hand to Ryans’ eclectic tendencies, and Cardinology is no exception. This time they mine the 70’s radio for southern rock harmonies, rock-tinged country, and piano ballads. The opening four songs, none longer that 2:59, kick the album off in stellar, frantic form with Born into the Light, Go Easy, lead-off single Fix It, and album-best Magick. Fix It, dominated by a killer baseline, is the first great song of the album, and Magick is pure greasy, cocky, bluesy rock ‘n roll.

The rest of the CD doesn’t quite live up to the swagger and warning of the first four songs, but there’s not a wasted song in this dozen. Cobwebs is a solid fifth song, followed by Let us Down Easy, a gorgeous plea on behalf of the weak and alone. Of some note for long-time fans, while Adams has dabbled in spirituality a bit on early albums (Tears of Gold off Easy Tiger comes to mind), an emerging interest in God can be felt on several tracks here, such as Let Us Down Easy, album closer Stop, assumedly about Ryan’s decision to give up drugs and drink, and Crossed Out Name.

If this doesn’t match up with career-best albums such as Love is Hell and Heartbreaker, it certainly is on the tier just below theirs. And, as always, it’s the lyrics that continue to catch you with barbed hooks long after the melodies have been warn smooth. B+