Ryan Adams
Love Is Hell, Pt. 1

THE REVIEW

If we were to, given the current times, scrutinize most of the music releases, very few artists would escape the accusation of sacrificing the quality of their compositions for the sake of easy money and a long-lasting survival in the music star-system.
Under these premises, Ryan Adams would, at the very least, undergo a regular trial. The reputation of an arrogant rock star that is slowly overshadowing that of a talented singer-songwriter, and his lively artistic production (5 albums in just under 3 years: an author against the system or a shrewd money-grabber like Prince?) are elements that do not speak in his favor.

Thus, while "Rock 'N' Roll" gives the impression of being made with the record company's gun pointed at his head, the latest "Love Is Hell" (two EPs released in quick succession) has been welcomed as an attempt to please longtime fans, evidently outraged by the strongly radio-friendly rock of the previous work.

"Love Is Hell, Pt. 1" is actually an excellent album, created by a Ryan Adams never so inspired, a melancholic, exciting record that you soon appreciate, forgetting the reasons that may have influenced its creation.
"Political Scientist" is a splendid homage to Jeff Buckley, and "Afraid Not Scared" from the first chords could have emerged from the drawer where Radiohead keeps the tracks excluded from "The Bends".
Reminiscences of "Gold" and "Rock 'N' Roll" appear strongly in "This House Is Not For Sale" and "Love Is Hell", giving the impression that the reflective atmospheres built at the beginning have definitely given way to a more rock pace.
Therefore, it's up to "Wonderwall" to open a sequence of songs of infinite beauty. The dreamy Oasis cover, impactful despite its simplicity, the intense "The Shadowlands" and "Avalanche," composed under full British influence (Coldplay and Starsailor above all) and the gloomy "Caterwaul" (one of the 2 bonus tracks included in the European version of the album) are the most captivating moments of an album that will win over even those who had long labeled Ryan Adams as yet another carefully crafted star to avoid.