Ryan Adams — 29

Adams pulled it off: three albums in one year, and 29 completes the monumental task with quiet dignity. The singer-songwriter is without Cardinals for this outing, and he worked with longtime producer Ethan Johns (Heartbreaker and Gold) to craft this achingly poignant and spare nine-track collection. With the exception of the rockabilly-blues found on the title track and the powerful epic "The Sadness" (which sounds like a western movie theme without a movie), the remaining songs are introspective and full of narratives of love and loss. From the country ballad "Strawberry Wine" to the hauntingly hollow "Nightbirds," Adams concludes his banner year of musical excess with something short, (bitter)sweet and simply beautiful.

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