A songwriter's minor album

Releasing three albums in eight months is no easy task. Maybe that's why Ryan Adams sounds so tired on 29, the final album of his 2005 trilogy. After the breezy country-rock of Cold Roses and the more traditional twang of Jacksonville City Nights, 29 comes off as excessive and unnecessary, even for a guy who is known for being overly prolific. \nThe downbeat 29 was actually the first of the three albums to be recorded as Adams was recovering from a broken wrist, after falling off of a stage during a performance in Liverpool, England. The dual realities of facing a potentially debilitating injury and turning 30, undoubtedly contribute to the depressive nature of the album.\nFor those who want to spend the night looking out your window sad and lonely, 29 works best as a sustained mood piece rather than a group of strong songs. The album is comprised mostly of late-night, confessional ballads that are sad, but shapeless, wallowing in a sea of blah. It's not horrible, but Adams has already done these kinds of songs earlier in his career to much better effect. The only true standouts are "Strawberry Wine," a beautiful eight minute whisper, and the country-flavored "Carolina Rain," which proves that Adams is still best at what made him popular in the first place. \nThe opening blues-romp of album's title track is raw and exciting, but misleading as it does nothing to foreshadow the downer that is the rest of the album. The only other song to break from the balladic monotony is "The Sadness," perhaps the most ridiculous tune that Adams has ever recorded, with him doing his best imitation of Antonio Banderas over Spanish guitars. \nEven though 29 is ultimately underwhelming, it's hard to be too disappointed if you're an Adams fan. He put out more good material in 2005 alone than most people do in a whole career. Consistency and coherency have never really been Adam's strong suit. With many of his albums, you have to take the bad with the good, but he is such a gifted songwriter that the bad is never that bad, and the good is often great. 29 should be seen as a minor effort by an essential artist, and with the breakneck speed that Adams writes at, there should be plenty of material in the years to come to redeem it.