Ryan Adams Finds Freedom In Prisoner
There are certain folks and country icons that come to mind when the genre is discussed. Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Simon and Garfunkel. The list goes on.
That’s the old school country music, the guys who paved the way for that kind of music. Setting the stage for young guys everywhere to pull out their guitars and hear groups of girls swoon over the twangs of their strings.
The most famous example of this new-school of country and folk is Beck, though his styles usually change dramatically.
A more consistent example would be Ryan Adams, and despite some dips in other genres (and a song by song cover of Taylor Swift’s immensely popular 1989, which was a hundred times better than its source material) he has maintained that country sound.
It’s what he has done with it that make him more than some guy on campus with a guitar singing about pointless things (I’m talking to you John Mayer).
I offer sincere praise to the man. His ability to take his life and use it as material for music may not seem special, but the way it’s presented is nothing short of brilliant.
His latest album, Prisoner, is no different. A healthy mix of alternative rock and folk are present, but the subject matter is tweaked.
The last album in his “divorce trilogy” (starting with 2014’s Ryan Adams and 2015’s 1989), this directly deals with his recent divorce from actress and singer Mandy Moore. Now that the man has seen the likes of heartbreak and tinnitus, divorce seems like an appropriate place to stop and ponder.
He did so with a guitar and lyrics.
Seeing a lot of the same sounds from the Swift cover album, there’s a more focused arc here.
Predictable, yes.
It’s about Adams feeling alone, abandoned and in pain. On songs like Haunted House, he channels Tunnel of Love-era Bruce Springsteen, and even calls back to his days of his debut, Heartbreaker. The entire album feels like a build up of emotions, all detailing a man’s journey through a lonely life.
The highlight of the album was the title track, Prisoner. An obvious metaphor is made about him being a prisoner to an unnamed (presumably Moore) woman’s love. The song has a more upbeat tone than most of the the tracklist, but his distinct, laid-back demeanor is played for emotion here. Sounding more like he’s going insane, without emphasizing it too much. The harmonica solo is a nice touch, adding to that country feel.
Even the singles hold their own surprisingly well against the deep cuts (my favorite parts of any album). The lead on and opening track heartbreakingly titled, Do You Still Love Me? is a blues-rock fused track. It’s loud, it’s passionate, but has that Adams sadness written all over it.
Times are tough, for everybody. In doing my background research and prepping before the album was out, I went back and listened through every album available on Spotify.
Immediately, as the single tear rolled down my cheek, I was transported back to the worst times of my life. Heartbreaker made me feel awful about myself, Ryan Adams made me remember how the past can be awful to look back on and 1989 made me think that more bubblegum pop records should get the same folk-rock treatment.
Prisoner sees Ryan Adams playing himself again. He’s the heartbroken, messy haired, singer/songwriter we all love, now with the added spice of divorce thrown in the mix.
Some may find intimacy constricting and want out. Adams thinks the opposite. Freedom from his marriage has obviously imprisoned him. Trapped by his loneliness and finding no escape anytime soon, Prisoner seems like his only way out of the rut of his love life.
