Easy Tiger
by Ryan Adams
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    Easy Tiger keeps it simple: beguiling melodies, an ace band, and Adams' elastic tenor.
  2. Filter
    82
    Our hero of Whiskeytown has returned. [#25, p.89]
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  3. Amazon.com
    80
    A return to form in every way.
  5. Uncut
    80
    The real triumph of Easy Tiger is less rooted in the sound, more in the attitude. [Jul 2007, p.114]
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  6. The New York Times
    80
    It is focused — read: not insanely self-indulgent — in a way that recalls albums of his like “Heartbreaker” and “Gold."
  7. Observer Music Monthly
    80
    Easy Tiger is his most rounded creation.
  8. Spin
    80
    Easy Tiger plays like a tightly focused best-of compilation from Adams' past six or seven efforts. [Jul 2007, p.96]
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  9. Slant Magazine
    80
    What Easy Tiger lacks in craft or measure, it makes up for in raw inspiration, which makes it all the more addictive.
  10. Sputnikmusic
    80
    Easy Tiger is at least Adams' best release since Love is Hell and it may even be the long awaited successor to Heartbreaker.
  11. Village Voice
    80
    The lived-in songs and careful presentation of Easy Tiger make for one of the strongest records of his second career as a solo artist.
  12. Hartford Courant
    80
    It's the most focused and cohesive album Adams has released in years.
  13. NOW Magazine
    80
    The Sheryl Crow duet works where his Norah Jones collabo didn't; I Taught Myself How To Grow Old is classic tortured Adams, and Pearls On A String is a rewarding reflection of the time he spent hanging out with Willie Nelson.
  14. Dot Music
    80
    Carrying the minimum amount of filler and fat, this judiciously pruned collection conclusively proves that this is one tiger still capable of burning brightly.
  15. Lost At Sea
    79
    Easy Tiger is his most consistent effort since Gold and his without doubt his most assured ever.
  16. Alternative Press
    70
    Adams often finds himself revisiting his past glories on Easy Tiger. [Jul 2007, p.178]
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  17. Rolling Stone
    70
    This is a strangely atypical Adams record, just because it's his first typical one.
  18. PopMatters
    70
    Easy Tiger is brisk and bright, and damned if Adams doesn’t sound comfortable just being Ryan Adams for a minute.
  19. Tiny Mix Tapes
    70
    Easy Tiger’s not his best, but it’s got focus and a lot of heart.
  20. Billboard
    70
    This "Tiger" is fairly tame, but that's OK. [30 Jun 2007]
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  21. Boston Globe
    70
    Gone is the petulant enfant terrible, and with it a certain sparkle and swagger that made a record like "Gold" careen from the speakers.
  22. Drowned In Sound
    70
    Despite its occasional charms, Easy Tiger feels like an uneven piece of work.
  23. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    70
    Like The OC, Easy Tiger manages to be pleasurable without ever being interesting.
  24. AllMusic
    70
    Easy Tiger delivers what it promises: the most Ryan Adamsy Ryan Adams record since his first.
    All this publication's reviews
  25. Stylus Magazine
    67
    Easy Tiger sounds like the kind of album Adams could churn out every 18 months for the rest of his life.
  26. Pitchfork
    62
    More consistent-- if more predictable and less spectacular-- than pretty much any other record in his exhaustive catalog.

Awards & Rankings

77
#77 Most Discussed Album of 2007

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 58 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 58
  3. Negative: 1 out of 58
  1. ChrisF.
    Oct 24, 2007
    7
    Love the guy but this one's going to collect some dust. I've listened a good 10X and there's nothing jumping out at me. Love the guy but this one's going to collect some dust. I've listened a good 10X and there's nothing jumping out at me. Suffers in comparison to his back catalogue.… Full Review »
  2. ScottY.
    Sep 14, 2007
    8
    Not quite as good as Cold Roses but still worth buying.
  3. JR
    Aug 31, 2007
    10
    "Easy Tiger" is an exceptional album; Ryan Adams has reached a new level as an artist. Every song on the album is brilliantly crafted, every "Easy Tiger" is an exceptional album; Ryan Adams has reached a new level as an artist. Every song on the album is brilliantly crafted, every emotional note expressed musically or lyrically is pitch perfect. As great as so much of his prior work has been, much of it seems affected, as if he wanted to prove the breadth of his musical range and the inexhaustibility of his lyrical imagination. On this album, he does what great musical artists do - he recedes behind songs that transport the listener to a different place. The critics have not been so kind, but read their reviews - they have all written the same review, and it is the same review they have written for all of his previous records. One might make the same criticism of these critics that they make of Adams - they seem to believe that their every thought, however poorly informed, is worthy of speaking, writing, and sharing with the world.… Full Review »
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