You never know what you're going to get from Ryan Adams. Sometimes he cranks it up and rocks out. Other times he turns it down and wallows in misery. But he has never delivered what the fans who have followed him since his days in Whiskeytown continue to crave -- another straight-up alt-country masterpiece. Until now, that is.

The two-disc Cold Roses is a no-nonsense collection of rangy, unvarnished country-rock and heartfelt balladry reminiscent of the early '70s albums of Neil Young and The Band.

Capably and tastefully backed by his new ensemble The Cardinals, Adams delivers his most heartfelt and least affected work in ages -- even if he does split a 75-minute album into two CDs and butcher a line from The New York Dolls on one cut.

We hear this is the first of three discs Adams plans to release this year. Whether anybody needs two more albums from Adams in 2005 is up for debate.

But anybody who's been waiting for Adams to get back to basics -- or at least as close as he's likely to get for some time -- needs Cold Roses.

Track Listing:

Disc 1:
1. Magnolia Mountain
2. Sweet Illusions
3. Meadowlake Street
4. When Will You Come Back Home?
5. Beautiful Sorta
6. Now That You're Gone
7. Cherry Lane
8. Mockingbirdsing
9. How Do You Keep Love Alive

Disc 2:
1. Easy Plateau
2. Let It Ride
3. Rosebud
4. Cold Roses
5. If I Am A Stranger
6. Dance All Night
7. Blossom
8. Life Is Beautiful
9. Friends