[rating: 3.5]

Label: Paxam

The long, desultory wayfaring that Ryan Adams first embarked on as a lovelorn, sentimental balladeer on 2000′s Heartbreaker, has finally come full circle.Adams, whose previously, indiscriminate performances in musical experimentation could be described, at best, as enigmatic (here’s to you, Orion), is finally back, doing what he does best: Alt. Country Rock.Ashes & Fire is a collection of understated, honeymoon songs from a man who sounds again at ease. Since his Whiskeytown days, Adams has weathered drug and alcohol addictions, heartache, and mental collapse, and each has greatly impacted his work. The musical results, though generally positive, have been vastly, varied. But in 2009, Adams got married; he then distanced himself from The Cardinals; and flirted with retirement due to Ménière’s disease, an inner-ear disorder which affects hearing and balance. Apparently, the roads he’s traveled have not been in search of creative reconciliation, but rather a matter of personal and physical well-being.There are vestiges of these demons on Adams’ new record – “Save Me” is a subtle but desperate cry for help – but ultimately, Ashes & Fire seems to reflect a reinvigorated spirit. The album astutely opens with Adams’ garbled words, “the last time I was here it was raining/it ain’t raining anymore,” over light, barely-there acoustic guitar. And for the first time in a long time, Adams appears defiant in the face of his obstacles and welcome to the challenge they present. His narrative about dancing in dirty rain, evocative of a “bring it on” mentality, persists throughout the record, even when he may be lamenting his situation. Adams discerns the positive even amidst the emotional shackles of a relationship on “Chains of Love”, and he prescribes virtue to hard lessons learned on “Lucky Now,” and “I Love You But I Don’t Know What to Say.” In the piano-driven grand finale, Adams seems to address his new wife, Mandy Moore, directly: “I was lost/I tried to find a balance, got caught up in the cost/I let it go, when I met you”. It wasn’t that long ago that Adams was completely lost in love –  he titled an album Love is Hell, for crying out loud – but Ashes & Fire is the very much the opposite.Sonically, this album is comparable to Heartbreaker. Adams has immeasurable taste, and while with The Cardinals, there appeared to be some method to his madness (the more instruments, the better), as  front man to the band, the intimacy of his work progressively dissolved: III/IVwas sprawling and over-packed, and Easy Tiger, though a good album in its own right, was singularly geared to producing a radio-worthy single. (I won’t even broach Orion.) Yet Ashes & Fire is simple and elegant; it feels personal and hopeful. The album is a return to Adams’ solo roots, but reflects the evolution of a man. No longer angst-filled, Adams is steadfast in his determination to fight rather than wallow – and he’s doing it with new found grace.-Andrew bailey