Ryan Adams – 1989 (PAX AM, 2015)
He’s one letter away from Bryan Adams, sometimes sounds like Springsteen, and has now covered an entire Taylor Swift album. Singer/songwriter Ryan Adams surprised everyone, especially the pop queen herself, when he decided to cover her hugely successful album, 1989. In a recent interview with CBC, Adams explained how he saw something really special in Swift’s songs and wanted to see them have a new life as acoustic tracks. The results aren’t entirely consistent because a few of his interpretations do little to distinguish themselves from the originals; his takes on “Bad Blood” and “Wildest Dreams” are examples of that. However, a few of his covers do spring to life in exciting ways. The songs “Shake it Off” and “Blank Space” have a completely new albeit nostalgic sound that make Adams’ new album the perfect way to carry Swift’s summer tracks into the fall.
Trial track: “Blank Space”
7/10
