Ryan Adams officially ditches his studded belt and tight rocker pants for a comfortable pair of chaps for his latest album, Jacksonville City Nights. Adams' North Carolina hometown is prominently featured as he returns to his roots both musically and literally.

Musical contradictions run rampant on the album because it was recorded in both Nashville and New York. The mere presence of the pedal steel's bent notes suggest country undertones, while the bold violin resists falling into fiddle conventions.

Each song progresses like a sad story; another bill is always due or forgiveness is just out of reach. Rhetorical questions to God abound, as do motifs of guns, death and coffee.

With the help of a piano, a string section and his band, the depth of the music swirls like warm bath water around the listener's ear. The songs are in no hurry, exploring the infinite amount of musical combinations, while invoking a peaceful change of pace, an idea usually associated with the South.

The highlight of the album is "Dear John," where much deserved eight-time Grammy-winning artist Norah Jones appears for a haunting duet. Jones sings the part of a widowed lover, while Adams assumes the role of her husband singing from beyond the grave.

"Trains" picks up the beat halfway through the album, as Adams shows his range — transitioning from his almost spoken, natural range, to a high vibrato falsetto. A dash of hopeful wistfulness is added in the lyrics "into the future/out of the past/… seems like I'm always moving."

Adams released Jacksonville City Nights on both vinyl and CD. However, the vinyl includes four bonus songs not included on the CD release. To complete a four-sided album, Adams includes one unreleased song, a demo of "A Kiss Before I Go" and a cover of late label-mate Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone" making the less-transportable format worthwhile.

Even though "To Punk and Back" would be an appropriate title for the album, Adams insists that he's not preserving the past like a folk musician, but rather pushing forward into new, personal surroundings with each musical phrase.

Grade: AB

This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on October 6, 2005.