Whiskeytown - Pneumonia CDs • Vinyl Records • LPs • Music Albums

Songs such as the heartfelt "Ballad of Carol Lynn," the near-flawless "Jacksonville Skyline" and the playful "Mirror Mirror" feature Adams' sometimes slouchy, other times soulful singing. Backed by acoustic-guitar rambles, subtle backbeats, the occasional barroom piano riff and the sweet drift of Cary's fiddle, Adams paints soundscapes rich in detail and narrative. Pneumonia sometimes gets bogged down in its succession of moody, slow-groove numbers. Still, it's a nice farewell from a band that was at the forefront of today's thriving alt-country scene. (RS 869 - May 24, 2001)

ROBERT SANTELLI

Pneumonia was shelved for two years. But with the success of Ryan Adams' solo career, Lost Highway released it in a seemingly timely fashion. Those who thought Adams left Americana behind to cash-in on an adult alternative radio sound will find that he was already well on his way to doing just that on this album.