Best of 00’s: Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Cold Roses

If you know me this is an obvious place for me to begin with my reviewing. I’ve been sweating the Cardinals for the last few years (for good reason), and my appreciation for Ryan and his music really began with this incredible album. I had previously purchased Heartbreaker and Jacksonville City Nights, and while they have alot of really solid songs, I was never fully engaged by them as albums. Cold Roses literally swallowed me from day one. I remember first queuing this one up for my 45 minute drive to band practice one fall evening and I doubt when i got there that i could recall a single moment of that drive. From the first count off and lick of Magnolia Mountain, this album took me somewhere. It has this mysterious, almost mist like presence of guitars and pedal steel throughout. Along with Ryans vocals they combine to create a dreamy and haunting undercurrent that reverberates throughout the song list. I swear it crawls right into my bones every time I hear it… even now, 4 years later. I have no other explanation, its just magic. And thats just the vibe! Once I dug a layer deeper and actually listened to the songs, I was blown away all over again. The song writing is definitely Ryan at his best: self reflective, vulnerable, at times heart breaking, at times humorous (you better believe me LUV… gimme a beer). From Meadowlake Street and its cinematic depictions of reflection and letting go to Let It Ride and its self destructive swagger, there is a wealth of un unabashed emotion to be found in these words. I also love how Ryan bears his influences throughout. Be it the Jerry Garcia on Cold Roses and Rosebud, Tom Petty on Dance All Night, or the Johnny Cash on Let it Ride, there are definitely homages abound, yet the end product is 100% Ryan Adams and true to the flow of this masterpiece of an album. It makes me wonder if they were intentional or even acknowledged by Ryan, or just a product of a master songwriter crafting what he hears into his own original art. Regardless, Cold Roses is definitely one of my favorite albums of the decade and likely a classic for years to come.