Word: americanas
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...Ryan Adams, "Heartbreaker" An old soul in a young man's frame, the former front man for Whiskeytown escapes typical record-company cranial paralysis with this fine solo outing on the Bloodshot label, home to some of Americana's brighter young lights (see below). The studio banter that kicks things off typifies the spontaneity of the whole affair, which has a refreshingly live quality reminiscent (sometimes quite deliberately so) of "Bringing It All Back Home"-era Dylan. But the melancholy turn of the best tracks, especially "Amy," are what really earns this boy his stripes, and his CD its title...
...and/I am losing my mind/Sometimes I feel like my life is/on a slide." His ability to craft witty verses and infectious choruses remains intact, making this record unmistakeably Everclear. Likewise, subtle touches such as the delicate strings that end "Overwhelming" and the surprising ascent of the dark instrumental "Halloween Americana" into a poignantly melodic finish set this apart as Everclear's most mature and accomplished album. B+ -Ryan...
...AMERICANA BUFF...
...reminds you that even though the Offspring have become mainstream mainstays, their roots still lie in punk. But even as the band seems poised and ready once again to pierce bubble-gum pop as they did on their notorious single "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" (off Americana), they decide instead to take the safer route. The album trades blows of intense, adrenaline pumped frenzy with the safer distorted power chords of mainstream rock. The first released single, "Original Prankster" tries to capitalize on the success of "Pretty Fly," simultaneously leaning on its Latin influences, copying its screw-ball sound...
...these states are U.S. allies. And earlier this week, it was reported that the U.S. Navy has decided temporarily to avoid the Suez Canal, instead rerouting vessels around the southern tip of Africa to reach the Gulf. This was a troubling indicator of the state of the Pax Americana that has prevailed in the region since the Gulf War. After all, the whole point of deploying your navy in distant waters is the projection of power - it sends a message to your enemies that you are not to be trifled with. Rerouting them from a waterway bordered by no states...