“Ryan Adams’CHANGESUNFOLDS LIKE A QUIET RECKONING WITH THE VERSIONS OF OURSELVES WE LEAVE BEHIND, THE ONES THAT LINGER IN OLD PHOTOGRAPHS, HALF-FINISHED CONVERSATIONS, AND THE SONGS WE RETURN TO WHEN WE’RE TRYING TO REMEMBER WHO WE WERE BEFORE EVERYTHING SHIFTED. THE RECORD LEANS INTO ADAMS’ GIFT FOR MAPPING THE EMOTIONAL GEOGRAPHY OF REGRET AND LONGING, WHERE EACH TRACK FEELS LIKE IT’S REACHING TOWARD SOMETHING JUST OUT OF FRAME. THERE’S A WEARY TENDERNESS RUNNING THROUGH THE ALBUM, THE SENSE THAT TRANSFORMATION IS RARELY TRIUMPHANT AND MORE OFTEN ARRIVES DISGUISED AS SURVIVAL. IN IT’S MOST AFFECTING MOMENTS,CHANGESFEELS LIKE SITTING ALONE WITH A MEMORY YOU’VE BEEN AVOIDING, LETTING IT SPEAK IN IT’S OWN TIME, AND REALIZING THAT GROWTH DOESN’t ALWAYS SOUND LIKE FORWARD MOTION-SOMETIMES IT SOUNDS LIKE LEARNING HOW TO LIVE WITH THE ECHO.

Ryan Adams HAS BUILT A CAREER OUT OF TURNING VULNERABILITY INTO A KIND OF SHARED LANGUAGE, WRITING SONGS