Ryan Adams - Prisoner

Prisoner may be his 16th studio album, but the quintessential essence of Ryan Adams has never been clearer. Centreing around Adams’ recent divorce from actress Mandy Moore, Prisoner is a raw exhibition of a songwriter in his prime, crafting dusky rock songs from undiluted vulnerability. Do You Still Love Me? is a blast of energy, channelling 80s power ballad vibes at track one. From here the record tones down sonically but depth resides in the poetry of Adams’ lyrics. “I miss you so much I shiver and shake”, he sings on Shiver and Shake, over a bleak and echoing guitar. Glimmers of optimism shine through in places. Back to back To Be Without You and Anything I Say To You Now jangle with hazy discord, inspiring at least a foot tap versus their more downbeat counterparts. Unsurprisingly, there is no stand out single on Prisoner, which flows in a complete indulgence of its context to the bitter end. Tightrope breaks for a saxophone solo midway, a moving section of music that creates feelings of heartbreak the listener has never had, before the washed out, War On Drugs-like We Disappear rolls the credits on this painful but powerful chapter of Adams’ life.