A decade ago Ryan Adams was the undisputed king of alt-country, with the platinum record sales and celebrity fan base to prove it. But, as you might expect from a dizzyingly prolific artist with a predilection for the dastardly sherbet of shame, the quality of subsequent albums has fluctuated somewhat, delivering heart-achingly beautiful highs, like Love is Hell, as well as unexpected lows, like last year’s ill-advised foray into sci-fi metal. Now drug-free and happily married, the prodigal son’s back with album thirteen. And, with its warm, analogue aesthetic, not only is Ashes & Fire a return to Adams’ roots, it’s an emphatic return to form too.