The track Doomsday has Bruce Springsteen all over it with the rueful harmonica sound and is the first of a combination of doom-laden ballads where he pours his heart out, especially Haunted House.
Later, To Be Without You features the line I am singing from a storm inside my ribs. With a cool phase effect on the guitar it creates a sense of longing.
Over the years Adams' imagery in his songs has spoken volumes. On Prisoner he tells it like it feels ... Crush it up into a paper ball, let it go/Anything I ever had to say, it's all gone (Anything I Say To You Now).
With the addition of earthy saxophone tones, Tightrope aches with intensity while acceptance is finally reached on We Disappear.
On Prisoner, Ryan Adams' muse was fuelled by sadness but he grabbed it and made this album sound a winner.
