Ryan Adams & The Cardinals — Jacksonville City Nights

When Ryan Adams announced that his band The Cardinals would release a trilogy of albums this year, few people expected anything good — Adams has pulled these kinds of tricks before and failed miserably. Which is why it’s so surprising that this, the second installment, is Adams’ best album in years.

A mix of his Whiskeytown alt.country roots and less genre-specific solo sound, these 14 songs are alternately fun and heartbreaking. Adams often comes off more as an actor than a confessional singer-songwriter, but that splash of drama has always been part of his appeal. Forget about the trilogy scheme or the fact that Jacksonville City Nights follows Cold Roses, a bloated double album — take it on its own merits and just enjoy.

Get it from