Prisoner

Prisoner continues to refine the sound that Ryan Adams first explored with his 2014 self-titled album: a sure-handed mix of Tunnel of Love-era Springsteen, ‘80s college rock, and soft-focus synths. A track like “Anything I Say to You Now” illustrates how perfectly this formula suits him; a Smiths-esque jangle of guitars gives sentimental depth to his plain-spoken refrain, “Anything I say to you now is just a lie.” As he works through the rest of the emotional wreckage, highlights like "Shiver and Shake” prove that Adams’ poignancy as a songwriter can still bring us to our knees.