A dilettante to some, a spoiled shit to others, and a poseur to most, Ryan Adams makes up for his bratty self-indulgence with convincing immersion into his carefully calculated roles. He's back to country crooner this year. Lick finger, hold it up to wind…yep, country it is this year. On Cold Roses Adams channeled his reverence for the Grateful Dead a bit too persuasively, living up to the Dead's disdain for pithiness with an album that far outstayed its welcome, despite some flawless moments. I can't believe I just referenced the Dead without falling asleep. Anyway, for Jacksonville City Nights, the second installment of a planned trilogy this year, Adams is harking back to a purer form of country, which he manages to imitate with frightening ease. See, he's not completely useless.