Gold
Ryan AdamsSwerved this one unfairly because of length and fairly because of #abuser, then doubled back and gave it a shot because I wouldn't do that to other dix likely to show up here. Also because when Steve Winwood popped up as today's entry this quickly gained appeal. Verdict is that Adams has a defiant charm, but I can't tell whether it's carefully cultivated or just god-given snottiness. The way he lets so many of these drift without trying to grab your ear is certainly a form of defiance, but not one I understand. Why not turn those frills and fills, mannered vocals and guitar atmospherics to something more memorable or witty or challenging. Clue might be in the way he commits to his vocals but stays arm's-length from his lyrics: he doesn't care enough about them to try. A mystery, but not one I'm inclined to solve because the double negative of the genre 'deliberately not unpleasant' makes my brain hurt.