Ryan Adams has historically released amazing songs on good albums, but he’s never really released a truly amazing album.

“Gold” and “Heartbreaker” both come close, but the former was too long and the latter retained a bit too much twang from his Whiskeytown days.

“Easy Tiger,” however, is a knockout. From the heartbroken strains of “Two” and “Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.,” to the desperation-rock of “Halloweenhead” to the blue-eyed soul of “Pearls On A String,” Adams runs the gamut of every style he’s ever adopted.

His crack backing band, the Cardinals, prove themselves more than ever capable of playing anything their madman-leader comes up with, and the addition of this new thing called “sobriety” to the writing and recording process gives the album a focus and an edge that previous efforts only hinted at.

This installment is a great addition for the seasoned fan and a good starting point for a new listener and more or less a perfect album.