Despite declarations of delivering another three albums in a short time, this is Ryan Adams’ first since his last trilogy. If Adams has been faulted for rushes in judgment—records, concert behavior, lifestyle choices or otherwise—Easy Tiger is at least his most honest since the devastating solo debut Heartbreaker. While he’s always felt comfortable in his own heart-worn, malcontent skin, Adams seems to have gained clarity about his life’s woes (women, artifice, hard living). Whether it’s lines like “How am I going to hold on to you when I’m spinning out of control” (the bright “Everybody Knows”), “I can name the people that don’t know themselves” (the somewhat bland “Rip Off”) or “My money is no good when I’m up to no good” (the Sheryl Crow-backed “Two”), his earnestness rings true. Of note is a lyrical recasting of an early song that never made it to an album: “Hey There, Mrs. Lovely” has been morphed into “These Girls,” a fine, finger-picked
lament that acknowledges the subjects are “better off in my head.” If the album occasionally feels ADD—rock (“Halloweenhead,” “Goodnight Rose”), old-time (“Pearls on a String,” “Tears of Gold”), folkie (“Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.,” “I Taught Myself to Grow Old”)—it’s most likely the cumulative effect of Adams’ work to date and his own restlessness as an artist still trying to figure out his own life.
