SOTD #175 // Ryan Adams: 'Destroyers'

With an artist as prolific as Ryan Adams, going a few months without hearing something new from the mercurial musician is a rather curious thing. Going a few years without anything new from Adams is downright unheard of. And, other than Orion, the peculiar, sci-fi metal album Adams released on limited-edition vinyl earlier this year (which seemed like more of a lark for Ryan than an official release), the consistently productive songwriter has been rather quiet. Until now. He’s due to release III/IV in December, a double-album of songs recorded around the time of the Easy Tiger sessions, which Adams claims is a “concept rock opera about the 80′s, ninjas, cigarettes, sex, and pizza.” Of course we’re intrigued by that. Who wouldn’t be?

‘Destroyers’ is the first song to be made available from these sessions, and thankfully finds Adams and the rest of the Cardinals rooted in their familiar laid-back rock sound, with a catchy guitar riff and Ryan’s resonant vocals floating over the top of the effortlessly infectious melody. These recordings feature the classic Cardinals line-up, with Neal Casal on guitar and vocal, Catherine Popper on bass, Jon Graboff on steel guitar, Brad Pemberton on drums, and producer Jamie Candiloro on piano and synths. And that blossoming affinity imbues ‘Destroyers’ with a natural, leisurely vibe that only adds to the genuine appeal of the song.

No matter how easy they make it sound, make no mistake, there’s plenty of talent on display throughout this number, as every member of the band picks the perfect time to colour the song with their subtle but pronounced flourishes. But in the end it’s Adams that is ultimately going to carry the track, and he’s in fine voice and sounds fully invested and involved in the song. And if ‘Destroyers’ is anything to go by, it’s clearly good to have him back on more accustomed musical ground, and hopefully his perplexing thrash metal dalliances are behind him for the time being. The bottom line is, Ryan Adams is releasing new music again, and for his patient and faithful fans, that is the best possible news of all.

Ryan Adams: ‘Destroyers’