October: Ryan Adams - Lucky Now

"Am I really who I was?"

For a man who gave up music just two years ago, Ryan's output (three albums in the last 12 months) doesn't seem to have suffered too much.

'Ashes & Fire' is one of the first RA albums in a while tho where I really feel that he's started employing some quality control again. Easy Tiger is underrated and Cardinology had some fantastic individual tracks, but neither really felt like they were quite as complete as some of his earlier records. I guess it's hard when the benchmarks he's set are always going to be a bit of a crown of thorns. But this time it does feel like he's been a bit more patient and selective about choosing and recording the songs that are right for this album, rather than just rushing to get something out there.

'Lucky Now' was the first single off of the record and so gets October's rotm by virtue of being first out of the Ashes & Fire box, altho I could easily have selected any of about four or five from this collection. It's also a nice bookend to the 'old' Ryan Adams - a look back at who he used to be, "all that's faded into memory."

The guitar solo coda is unmistakeably signature RA too. It's been a while since I heard something new feel so familiar simply because of the guitarist's playing style.

> Bonus video of 'Ashes & Fire' included below the single. Just because he has to be seen live to really appreciate how good he is.