“English Girls Approximately” – Ryan Adams
An absolutely amazing live performance. No studio tricks here. The guy can just write great songs and sing them well.
It can be daunting to attempt to tackle Adams’ massive output. He’s released no fewer than 20 albums in his career, whether with his first band, Whiskytown, with his accompanying band The Cardinals, or solo efforts. I might be about to tackle it, though.
Tuesday he released a surprise album of songs inspired by the American hardcore and punk scenes of the early 1980s. It’s phenomenal. And next week he releases his self-titled album that features the single “Gimme Something Good.” You can stream it over at NPR. It’s fantastic, too.
I’ve admired many of his singles over the years. But if I’m going to spend a lot of time listening to two of his latest albums, it might be time to finally figure out what the rest of his career is all about.