Genius, Mad as a box of frogs, show off, nutcase, prolific, has nobody to quality control him are all things people have said about Ryan Adams, and at some point, all of these would be true and we’ve barely scratched the surface of 2024 and Adams has already dropped not one, not two but Five albums! now drink that in music lovers Five albums. Four new studio albums and Prisoner live which is a bit lazy releasing a live album on the day he drops Four studio records. What was he thinking? Anyway, whilst trying to live with the new albums and intake all that new music as well as deal with a plethora of new releases January has gotten off to a headfuck of a start and none more noteworthy as ‘1985’ from Ryan ‘What me writer’s block?’ Adams.

A quick summary would say that ‘Heatwave’ is fourteen songs of Adams does… whilst Star Sign’ is ten songs of Adams doing… then ‘Sword And Stone’ aren’t Adams Goes Manowar (now that I could handle) but twelve songs deep whilst ‘1985’ is, wait for it, twenty-nine songs in half an hour of The Finger styley giving it some proper fuck you! punk rock hardcore. yup, we know he has it in him away from his takes of Oasis and Springsteen cover albums or his Taylor Swift take down this is nasty fuck you and the horse you rode in on punk rock. Something right up our alley (so to speak). One minute he’s Springsteen or Liam Gallagher goes acoustic the next he’s out Offin Keith Morris doing Hardcore with as much authenticity as Vinny Stigma.

‘1985’ kicks off with ‘Dark Places’ and away we go on a rip-snorting rocket ride. It’s not noise for the sake of it it is just wonderful Black Flag-style punk rock. ‘Waste Of Time’ is less bluster and more Replacements punk rock and who doesn’t like some of that? In fact, if this was announced as some long-lost Husker Du blast or Replacements demos I’d buy into that. The album lurches from the alt-punk rockers to the straight up Hardcore and ‘Forget Me Either Way’ is the latter whilst ‘No Flag’ is like a rabid dog barking out the chorus and its done.

The tone of the guitar is superb, ‘Skulls’ is a banger whilst the sharpness of the riff on ‘Toaster Face’ is like being hit in the face with a baseball bat and enjoying it. ‘You Are The Enemy’ is him chanelling his inner UK Subs. It’s all in here kids and by the time you reach ‘Midlife Crisis’ you might need a break its exhausting pogoing round your sofa to Ryan Fuckin Adams. ‘Down The Drain’ might offer the welcome break from all that chaos with its dark acoustic beauty. Then ‘Bag Of Trash’ could be a Fuzztones Psyche rock trip but then ‘What The Fuck’ draws you back into the punk rock maelstrome.

Before we’re done ‘Straight Edge Bookstore’ is his tip of the hat to Minor threat and the fucked up world of Straight Edge. The clock is rewound to the youthfulness of early punk with the comical ‘Punch Em In The Nuts’. I need a lie down, I’m exhausted Ryan Adams has almost broken my brain with his welcome to 2024 and this his ripsnorting kick up the backside that is one hell of a top record. My advice dont fuck about get in there and buy it. 1-2-3-4 Go!

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Author: Dom Daley