Sound: Classic alternative country (rock, country and folk blended together), mostly favoring the sedated and soothing side of the genre, with lovelorn, longing and plaintive lyrics
Look for: A healthy dose of dreamy, lap steel guitar twang
Note: It’s a “double LP,” but each disc is under 40 minutes, so it’s actually around the length of some bloated “LPs”
Heavy Rotation tracks: “Sweet Illusions“; “Magnolia Mountain”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Blossom“; “Easy Plateau“; “Life Is Beautiful“; “If I Am a Stranger“; “Let It Ride“; “When Will You Come Back Home”
Recommended: Disc 1 gets a little too brooding after awhile, but on the whole this may be Ryan Adams’ prettiest and most relaxing album.
Grade: B+ (Disc 1 = B; Disc 2 = B+)

(As posted 5/23/05 on davepowersmusic.com)
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