Arguably the most eclectically prolific artist since Prince, Ryan Adams
continues his chameleon revivalism with his most straightforward country
music to date. Having evoked the inspiration of bands ranging from T. Rex
to the Grateful Dead on previous solo releases, the former Whiskeytown
frontman here channels the likes of Faron Young on "My Heart Is Broken,"
while framing the shot-and-a-beer opener, "A Kiss Before I Go," with honky-
tonk piano and pedal steel. "Seems like I'm always movin'," he sings amid
the rockabilly kick of "Trains," as the album finds his restless muse
ranging from a dreamy duet with Norah Jones on "Dear John" to naked
vulnerability reminiscent of John Lennon on "Silver Bullets." Only Adams
would cut a track titled "The End" and sequence it second on the CD, or a
song called "Peaceful Valley" and inject it with so much emotion.
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