Ryan Adams and the Cardinals “Cardinology” Review

It is often difficult to gain a balanced perspective on an album after reading a single summary of the music. Bias can tilt the review, as can personal taste, history and just about everything else that is unique to the person writing it. So in an effort to offer an expanded perspective on the music here are four reactions, four impressions, Four Takes on Ryan Adams and The Cardinals’ Cardinology.

Sometimes Ryan Adams just is too prolific for his own good. That being said, he is never at a lack of material and is one of the best songwriters around when he is hitting on all cylinders. This also means, like one of his idols Paul Westerberg, he can suffer from over saturation and inconsistency. Luckily for his fans, his latest album Cardinology is an overall success that brings Adams’ best attributes to the forefront. He has been smart to keep around his great backing band The Cardinals for the last couple years as they have gelled into a powerfully cohesive band that does a great job fleshing out his alt country tunes. Cardinology has many highlights, with a few favorites being the twangy opener “Born Into The Light” and the mid-tempo “Crossed Out Name.” Only one song, the Oasis sounding “Magick,” really misses its mark. Hopefully Ryan Adams and The Cardinals’ upcoming tour with the Gallagher brothers will not tempt him to punish his listeners with more crap like this song. Overall, Cardinology is a fairly balanced and engaging record that will be able to please the longtime fans and bring new listeners into the fold. [Josh Keller]

As an artist Ryan Adams has often displayed characteristics suggesting struggle within his own reality, something that many have faulted him for. Even through times of relative insanity however, he still continued to offer examples of sensibility within his music. But on Cardinology, the music is almost too sensible. As matter of fact, to some degree I wish it were an inconsistent recording so suggestion could be made that he’s going through “one of those phases.” The chorus to “Go Easy” ever-so-briefly reminds me of My Morning Jacket and “Magick” starts off with a bit of White Stripes-type bounce, but the rest of the album is consistently bland. New York Times journalist Winter Miller recently caught up with Adams on tour, opening the musician up to questions about his current favorite albums. With no sarcasm whatsoever, Adams mentioned of Mariah Carey, “Her records are masterpieces” and of Metallica’s Death Magnetic, “Lyrically astounding.” Where I once felt like I could see past my disinterest in his music I’m now having a hard time seeing the good in the musician at all. On that note, Cardinology might be a lyrically astounding masterpiece, but then again, I can’t stand Mariah Carey. [Chris DeLine]

Ryan Adams’ records, like his live shows, are hit or miss affairs. And anyone as prolific as Ryan has been the last three or four years is bound to put out songs that reach your heart just as easily as remaining forever out of reach. His new album, Cardinology, is filled with music both sublime and simple, stellar and saccharine. I’ve seen Ryan play six of the album’s 12 songs live recently, and perhaps the full band arrangements in the live setting affects my judgment of the record just a bit, but the new tracks continue down the Easy Tiger road of love, failed relationships, and the passing of time. Musically, some of the arrangements are a little simple for my tastes, especially when you add in Adams’ sober, somber lyrics. But songs, like “Cobwebs” (which opened the show I saw), “Sink Ships,” and even the album’s first single, “Fix It,” are classic Adams, both musically and lyrically. Even the goofy rocker “Magick,” with it’s sixth-grade spelling and lyrics about zombies and the mall, gets me with it’s “turn the radio up,” chorus. Ryan Adams is clearly having fun here, and that comes through in the music. And album closer “Stop,” might just be one of the most beautiful songs he’s ever written. The familiarity and trust with his band transfers well to the songs, with Adams trading off guitar riffs with Neal Casal and Jon Graboff generously and easily. There are some good, even great tunes on Cardinology, (with Adams’ songwriting, there always will be). But there are some misses here, as well, but not enough to ruin the cohesion of the record. And, with Ryan Adams, you always take the bad in order to get to the best. [Erik Thompson]

Have I listened to the new Ryan Adams and The Cardinals’ album? I’m not sure. There was a bunch of completely innocuous country-rock muzak coming from my speakers earlier, but for some reason I can only remember bits and pieces of it. It was sort of like being in an elevator—there was music playing but for all its banality, there might as well have not been. I am generally a sucker for good lap steel, but even this Adams’ seems to have emasculated into limp-dicked submission (except maybe on “Natural Ghost” where it actually shines). Maybe I’m being a little too harsh. There are a few decent tracks here that aren’t totally unmemorable: “Crossed Out Name” actually contains some real poignancy behind it. “Cobwebs” is a good song, in a U2 meets country rock sort of way. “Magick” actually rocks. My overall issue with Cardinology is that I probably hold Adams to too high of a standard. He is supposedly one of America’s greatest singer/songwriters, and I have seen flashes of his brilliance in past hit and miss albums. The Cardinals are a bunch of crackerjack musicians as well, so no excuses allowed there. Basically this band has a ton of talent to work with, but it seems like a good 50 percent of Cardinology has been mailed in anyways. “Fix It” sounds like Adams could have written it in his sleep. “Evergreen” is just boring. In his career Adams has often been criticized for an inability to trim the fat off of his many many records, with Cardinology he doesn’t seem to have fixed this issue. [Jon Behm]

Also: Ryan Adams on Black Cab Sessions