Ryan Adams is keeping pace with 2014 already, dropping another EP in the form of No Shadow, Stereogum notes. What separates this release from last year's 1984 and Jacksonville shorts is that Johnny Depp, a devoted fan, joined Adams for the new effort. The pair linked up onstage in September to cover Danzig's "Mother," one of Adams's many live reworkings of 2014, and they apparently met up to put the finishing touches on No Shadow as well.
The high-profile actor received writing credit on the title track, which he also played guitar and sang on, and contributed axe work to "It's in My Head." "Stoned Alone" is, fittingly, Adams going at it solo. Like Jacksonville before it, the first two tracks are keepers while the third is the singer just having some fun. Stream the EP via Spotify below.
EPs aside, Adams had a solid LP year as well. His 14th(!) solo record, a self-titled release, dropped in September. The album gained attention with singles like "Gimme Something Good," "My Wrecking Ball" and "Stay with Me."
"For his first LP since 2011 — a stretch for a guy who generally releases a record or more a year — Adams rewires heartland rock, with major-chord, Reagan-era guitars, muscle-shirt drums and a thousand-yard stare," Rolling Stone wrote, giving the album 3 1/2 out of five stars.
Despite what fans may think, Adams labeled the album after himself for the simplest of reasons: He could not come up with a name.
"Straight up: I could not think of a name for this record," he told Stereogum in September. "Everything I came up with sounded so stupid. Everything sounded like a King Crimson album title, some convoluted s--t. And I really ... I couldn't believe it, but I totally understood — I get why people do that. At least, I sort of got it. I was like, 'I can't call this Shadows or something, I just can't do it.'"
Adams will be trekking through Europe and the U.K. from February to March before he heads back to the States for appearances at Coachella, New Orleans Jazz Fest and Governors Ball.
