Music lovers, fret no more. The world may be bleak so far this year, but the music gods are shining down upon us this month and bringing us a miracle: a new Ryan Adams record.
It always blows my mind that this incredible talent goes unrecognized by so many. Adams has an extensive catalogue, with songs like “When the Stars Go Blue” (yes, THAT one, One Tree Hill fans!! THAT WAS RYAN, GIVE HIM THE CREDIT!!!) and “Come Pick Me Up” (one of the most incredible love songs of all time, if you ask me), not to mention his incredible cover of Taylor Swift’s 1989 (yeah, THAT’S RIGHT! He covered the WHOLE ALBUM! AND IT’S AWESOME.) This guy is a musical genius, okay? Don’t question it, just embrace it. On February 17th, Ryan is set to release his 16th studio album, Prisoner. His last original music was released in 2014, so it’s high time his fans were given new material to pore over and cry to… Because let’s be honest, that’s exactly what I’ll be doing.
He teased us late in 2016, saying that the album would be released before the year was over… But the date came and went, album unreleased and fans questioning when we would be graced with its presence. At last, he released the first single from the album, titled “Do You Still Love Me?” and what had been a gloomy end to 2016 suddenly perked up. While the themes of the new album, i.e. heartbreak and general “life sucks because you left me” stuff, don’t necessarily lend themselves to perk-up music, Ryan’s infusion of these tragic topics with bad-a*s guitar riffs, 80s rock (think ELO and Bruce!) and haunting melodies and harmonies make it work. In fact, they more than work. They are magic.
Can you tell that I am a die-hard fan yet?
Links to the two singles are included below and come the 17th, you’ll be able to find Prisoner pretty much everywhere––I’ll have it on a non-stop loop. Pro-tip: follow him on Twitter too. He is dope, he loves cats, and is an avid pinball player…?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-qfQcJveDw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-MgXtelSYQ