Latest releases reviewed

RYAN ADAMS AND THE CARDINALS Jacksonville City Nights  Lost Highway ****
With a double album last May (Cold Roses) and now a 16-track blockbuster four months later, Ryan Adams can't be accused of slacking, whatever else his legion of doubters might throw at him. And he is roughly in the zone in which he has made his best music, for if Cold Roses rekindled his alt.country muse, then Jacksonville City Nights continues in the same vein – though without the .alt. This is hardcore country, starting with the steel guitars and bar-room regret of A Kiss Before I Go and The End, although the tone softens as he and his sharp band move through tracks that also feature a measured duet with Norah Jones. While the doubters have something when they say that Adams has undermined his potential by being such as musical chameleon, his work this year has been remarkably fresh and focused. Perhaps between these three albums there was a killer single set to be drawn; maybe next year if he can keep up the pace. www.ryan-adams.com

Joe Breen

VARIOUS ARTISTS Start Your Own Country Loose Records ****

This fourth instalment in the excellent New Sounds of the Old West series opens the door on a whole slew of acts that deserve their moment in the sun. The idiosyncratic folks at Loose have it in mind to widen alt.country perception and not to serve up tried and tired retreads, so be prepared to make loads of new friends such as By the Fireside, the excellent Justin Rutledge, Steve Ketchen and the Kensington Hillbillys, plus 17 more. Some you might want to know better but all are worthy of inclusion, not least The Parkas, an Ontario band who conclude the album with the Jayhawksian title track. This collection sounds like the tape friends used to exchange in pre-digital days, from the enthusiasm of the sleevenotes to the quiet surprises that abound. www.loosemusic.com

Joe Breen