Ryan Adams and The Cardinals - Everybody Knows

In a world where inexplicably, three-track single releases can be dubbed an EP, Ryan Adams’ eight-song effort is probably best dubbed a mini-album. Even if we are talking about a man who, left to his own devices, could probably rustle up a regular thirteen track long player on at least a monthly basis. ‘Everybody Knows’, the title track of which features on Adams’ most recent studio album ‘Easy Tiger’ even has its own name in the US, released under the moniker ‘Follow The Lights’.

The EP’s title track, as well as the new tracks (‘My Love For You Is Real’, ‘Blue Hotel’ and ‘Follow The Lights’), as well as the live renditions are pretty much standard Adams fare, if such a thing is possible. Slide guitars, slow piano parts, vaguely heartbroken lyrics: it’s not to suggest he’s incapable of anything else, but this is what Ryan Adams knows best and does incredibly well.

His cover of Alice In Chains’ ‘Down In A Hole’ is executed competently and emotionally enough for it to be his own, but it’s a re-working of one of Adams’ own tracks which is the shining star of this release. ‘This Is It’, a track from his ‘rock’ album Rock ‘N Roll’, adapted to make use of the more country-oriented Cardinals. It’s often said you can only realise how good a track is when covered - it’s nearly the same here; a slower tempo, a far less brash sound and the ability to dechiper the lyrics means the song is able to reach a whole new level.