Easy Tiger, Adams' most concise effort since 2000's Heartbreaker, might just do the trick. Reteamed with the Cardinals, his longtime backup band, he is once again crafting fat-free country-rock anthems, and the result is his most well-rounded, commercially viable record in years. From the blistering, riff-driven strains of "Goodnight Rose" to the melancholic refrains of "I Taught Myself How to Grow Old" — a down-tempo confessional that resonates with all the understated passion of Harvest-era Neil Young — Adams seems intent on technical perfection. His irrepressible melodies are perfectly suited to his tender tenor, and the casual hooks are immediately inviting; if the whole affair seems a bit too polished, that's no accident. Though Easy Tiger may lack the raw, spontaneous feel of 29 and Jacksonville City Nights, it is the versatile and supremely disciplined album many Ryan Adams fans have been waiting for since his Whiskeytown days. — Rossiter Drake
