In an uncharacteristic act of act of restraint, Ryan Adams has been relatively quiet on the new album front the past few years. He did put out that weird proto-metal record last year (Orion), but that somehow doesn’t count as a “Ryan Adams” album. The media is assuming the man has developed some kind of internal editor, hoping that Ashes & Fire out October 11, 2011, will be a cliched “return to form.” If you want to decide for yourself, you can stream the new album here. I’ve never been in the camp that complained about too much product output from Adams. But his new album is amazing all the same.

But, if you’re also interested in a more in depth look at what Adams’ motives are, this interview with the Guardian is extremely informative and shows Adams in his most stable frame of mind.