Album Review: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, "Cardinology" (Lost Highway)

With "Cardinology," North Carolina-born singer/songwriter Ryan Adams and his accompanying band, The Cardinals, deliver one of their best albums to date--12 tracks of easy-going, alt-country reflections, poignant ballads and rockabilly moments.

"Cardinology" is replete with unforgettable hooks and poetic details. A master of articulating loneliness and broken hearts, Adams uses his raspy, honest vocals to convey pain, joy and isolation. Some of his finest lyrics are contained within "Fix You." "I know it’s not a game / but it feels like losing when someone you love throws you away," he croons. Other heavier thoughts can be found in "Stop," a beautiful, melancholy piano tune; "Crossed Out Name," an acoustic number about living alone; and "Natural Ghost," a sweeping blend of backup vocals and steel guitars.

Just because there are reoccurring themes of insecurity and the dark side of love doesn't mean "Cardinology" is a downer. Sure, a lot of the album is low-key, but the band revs things up on tracks like the foot-tapping, tambourine-shaking "Let Us Down Easy" and the reverb-hard "Magick," which is the closest it gets to Adams' "Rock N Roll" style. The bright guitars and uplifting movement of "Cobwebs" make it one of the standout selections. "If I fall will you catch me? / If I'm sorry, sorry enough / If I fall will you pity me? / Will you confuse my love for the cobwebs?" Adams repeats for most of the song, driving home his point though high-pitched wails and pleas.

"Cardinology" is the kind of album that makes just as much sense being blared from a bedroom window as it does at the neighborhood bar, and it's certain to re-energize longtime listeners while earning new fans.