Another day, another Ryan Adams album

Ryan Adams is nothing if not prolific. He already released a double album (Cold Roses) this year with his new band the Cardinals, and since 2000 he has put out seven releases, all of varying quality. 2000's Heartbreaker was a jaw-dropping alt-country dirge; 2003's Rock 'n' Roll was a tongue-in-cheek rip-off of just about every alternative rock act ever. Adams seems to have come full circle from his days in Whiskeytown -- after conjuring every genre, he's back to straightforward country. It certainly sounds great, and the fact his picture isn't plastered all over every surface of the album means he may be becoming less of a prima donna.\n2005's second Adams release has its bright moments. The first track on Jacksonville City Nights is a rock-solid, steel guitar honky-tonk drinking song called "A Kiss Before I Go," and other strong tracks include "Dear John" (a duet with Norah Jones) and the upbeat, bluegrass romp "The Hardest Part." "Silver Bullets" is about as strained a confessional as Adams has ever written, filled up by his warbled crooning and a beat-up sounding piano.\nThe only problem with all of this is that it's nothing particularly new, inventive or even progressive for Adams. We know he can sound like Merle Haggard. We know he can bleed himself white on songs about as sad as have ever been written. I thought Rock 'n' Roll was one of his strongest releases despite its lack of originality because it showed Adams treading new territory. Jacksonville City Nights is accomplished and could pass for classic country if it weren't just a stellar imitation. The amount of music this man writes and records shows he can bawl out heart-rending country without any effort whatsoever.\nStill, despite Adams' proclivity towards recording and releasing every song he ever writes, there's something to be said for picking the best of the bunch. Were he to have taken the strongest tracks from this release (songs like "Trains" and "The Hardest Part") as well as those from Cold Roses, he would have made another stellar record. Instead, he's put out another record that his fans will enjoy and his detractors will use as further evidence of why he sucks.\nI can't imagine any new fans being drawn to him as a result of this record, but I think Adams is heading in the right direction. We'll see if I'm wrong when the next album comes out in about six weeks.