10. Ryan Adams

“Ryan Adams is very much Ryan Adams being Ryan Adams.”  This observation sums up the vibe of his 14th solo studio release.  The self-titled record is classic Adams, brooding through a series of personal reflections, heartbreaks, and missed opportunities, albeit after 2011’s folk-tinged Ashes & Fire, the record is carried forward by power-rock riffs culled from the bargain vinyl bin.  His touchstones here are 80s-fueled rock, and his straightforward hooks are the closest he has come to making a Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers record.

Opening tracks “Gimme Something Good,” “Kim,” “Trouble," and “Am I Safe” will push you out the door and serve as the perfect soundtrack for wearing your denim jacket, bumming a smoke on Hollywood Boulevard, and ruing the day you met your ex-girlfriend.  When you are driving back to your empty place, "Feels Like Fire," "I Just Might," and "Tired of Giving Up" will smolder and keep you company.  “Let Go” is another strong album closer in a career filled with them, and the song just might get you out the door tomorrow.  You can live and feel all of these songs.  Take dips in the pool of self-pity.  Dry yourself off and start again.  The end result: a record that ranks somewhere in the top half of his output, which is no small feat.

“Wrecking Ball” sits in the middle of the rock record, a slow-burning acoustic strum worthy of classic ballads “Come Pick Me Up,” “La Cienega Just Smiled,” or “Desire.”  As always, Adams’s songs are sturdy.  His construction and delivery can handle seemingly endless listens, and it makes little difference if he is alt-country Adams, folk-rock Adams, or classic-rock Adams.  It is near impossible to grow tired of his best work, especially when you can toggle through his ever-increasing catalog and find well-crafted songs at almost every turn.  Perhaps this is my favorite thing about him: his songwriting commands attention and rewards lifelong fandom.