Brad Paisley - 5th Gear

I hate to say it, but I think my love for this album has waned over the years. Brad Paisley can still play like crazy and his lyrics are spot-on, clever, touching... but while the highlights are still quite good here, the lowlights don't seem to hold up as well.

As I'd written previously on my other blog, having seen Brad in concert was quite something... but it felt more like a pop music concert -- pre-rehearsed, filled with special effects and timed music videos on large screens, etc. -- than what I expected a country show to be.

Lyrically, songs like Ticks and Online are gold. They're funny, they flow well and tell great stories. These are songs that you can listen to a few times before you get all the little jokes tucked away in there. On top of that, however, are some good guitar licks and general production. Better Than This is another example of this that makes the latter half of the album for me.

My copy of the album has a few seemingly extra tracks at the end of it, some quasi-comedy outakes or something. I think the album would be a tiny bit better if it wrapped up after the first twelve songs; at 51 minutes it still makes for an average length album that people wouldn't complain about... but this is a pretty small complaint about the disc (and, again, this could be some sort of special edition or Canadian release of the disc, although I don't see anything on the disc that would indicate as much).

So, in short, the good songs are very good and certainly worth a listen; but I think the album does have a bit of filler that, after a few years, doesn't seem to hold up as well as it did initially.

Recommended track(s):	Ticks; Online; I'm Still a Guy
Worth another listen?	Yes!
Overall rating:	Three Stars

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Cold Roses

I should preface any review I do for Ryan Adams, with or without the Cardinals, with this statement: I freakin' love Ryan and everything he's done (including his work with his previous band, Whiskeytown). This is a biased review, to be sure... but what can I do?

Cold Roses is a double album, but more in theory and execution than running time; the whole work clocks in at one hour, sixteen minutes. That said, casual fans and those new to Ryan's work should also realize that this was one of three (3) albums that he released that year (Jacksonville City Nights and 29 being the other two) and that the total running time does nothing to depreciate the impact this package has as a double album. It plays like a double album and between the packaging and the track order, I think it's essential that it be a double album like this.

Compared to his previous works at this time (e.g., Love is Hell, parts one and two, Rock n Roll) this album was a (welcome) return to a much more 'country' sound for the band. The highlights are many, the lyrics are brilliant, the music is fantastic and I got to see him tour shortly after these albums were released and they translate beautifully to the stage; I have the bootleg (Ryan is 'taper friendly') from the show I saw and listen to it all the time still.

If you're new to Ryan, I'd still probably suggest starting with something like Gold or even Whiskeytown's Strangers Almanac. And, please don't let the "country" tag scare you away: this isn't Shania-esque new country, nor is it 'your fathers' country music; yes, there is some twang, but Ryan has an incredible voice and there is enough of a 'rock' vibe underlying everything to interest anyone. Also, even if you don't know it, you've probably heard his music previously, either in a movie or on tv or something... but maybe I just notice it everywhere because I love it so much; yes, I'm that annoying person who will stop people in the middle of a conversation over dinner or whatever to point out that he's playing on the radio somewhere.

Recommended track(s):	Magnolia Mountain; Sweet Illusions; Easy Plateau; Cold Roses; Dance All Night
Worth another listen?	Yes!
Overall rating:	Four-and-a-Half Stars