CD: Ryan Adams, Easy Tiger

Adams's prolific output has often been compromised by lack of quality control. Whether it's a result of giving up booze or reaching his thirties, Easy Tiger is his most rounded creation. Though it includes a clutch of blustery rockers, like the opening 'Goodnight Rose', and a touch of straight country, it's a series of stoical, semi-acoustic ballads that provide its heart. The wistful eloquence of 'Off Broadway' and the closing 'I Taught Myself How to Grow Old' recall Neil Young in his prime. Can Ryan likewise attain the Great American Artist status he has yearned for? Maybe.