With "Easy Tiger" Ryan Adams has released his third album with his band The Cardinals. Picking up where "Jacksonville City Nights" left off "Easy Tiger" is another country rock album. The only problem is the record sounds like a bunch of out takes to these ears. The thing holding Adams back seems to be his subject matter.
The most rewarding parts of "Cold Roses" were the tracks that steered away from straight forward love songs ("Easy Plateau", "Let It Ride", etc.). "Easy Tiger" falls into Ryan's trap of focusing on unsuccessful relationships. Metaphor and symbolism are almost nowhere to be found on the record. "Halloween Head" is the closet thing we get to either of these things with Adam's using halloween (tricks and treats) as symbolism for being fucked up.
Many of these tracks feel like they could have been on any of his past records. Had this collection been released from someone else it might have been a bit more interesting. That isn't to say the album doesn't have any rewarding moments. It's just that the bland lyrical content scar's most of them.
Maybe its releasing three album in one year and then releasing a dozen or so through his website (mostly parodies) but Adam's seems burnt out. If he has any free time in the near feature I suggest he go back those Grateful Dead albums he holds so close to his heart and look for the name next to Jerry Garcia's, Robert Hunter. Adam's has written some great music with "Easy Tiger" and maybe with someone to bounce off of rather then boss this could have been a much stronger release.
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