Back in 2005, Ryan Adams was left for
dead—artistically and otherwise—by fans and critics who felt that
stylistic departures like Rock N Roll and Love Is Hell had squandered the
goodwill engendered by his folksy 2000 debut, Heartbreaker. That year, Adams released
two records, Cold Roses and Jacksonville City Nights, that cemented his status among
naysayers as a shallow, overly prodigious pastiche artist. But for true
believers, the records signaled a turning point as well as the emergence of a
great new backing band, The Cardinals. The loose-limbed Cardinals relaxed and
humbled Adams, drawing out his natural gifts as a melodicist and vocalist
within the safe, friendly confines of a band. Last year's Easy Tiger and the new Cardinology confirm
that Adams has found a creative comfort zone in The Cardinals that probably
saved his career, if not his life.
Adams wanted to credit the unfortunately titled Cardinology solely to
The Cardinals, which is curious considering it's the least Cardinals-like record
he's made with the band. If the first half of Cardinology resembles any record in
Adams' discography, it's the unfairly maligned '80s arena-rock tribute Rock
N Roll, particularly
on the addictively mindless radio blaster "Magick" and the U2 knock-offs "Go
Easy" and "Cobwebs." Later on, Adams and The Cardinals settle into the
sprawling, spaced-out country rock they're known for on the epic "Natural Ghost"
and the sweetly poppy "Sink Ships," but if not for the occasional Neal Casal
backing vocal or steel-guitar lick from Jon Graboff, Cardinology could easily pass for
something from Adams' genre-hopping period.
Not that that's a big thing, necessarily. Even at
his slightest—and Cardinology is pretty slight—Adams always turns out
likeable ear candy. But Adams already proved he could make a well-behaved
pop-rock record with Easy Tiger, and Cardinology feels like another
self-consciously consistent, concise effort from one of the few bands that
gives jamming a good name.