Pardon Us, Ryan Adams, Do You Have the Time?

There’s only a month left until the release of Easy Tiger, Ryan Adams’s ninth (official) record, but leakage has been minimal and details are sparse. Thankfully, its cover offers a few clues. The art is deceptively simple at first — just the title, in a Tron-esque sans serif, and a confused-looking alt-country singer staring down at the expensively carpeted floor of his West Village apartment (this is the world’s only known photograph of Adams not recording an album). It’s only when you notice the light-up LCD display of his calculator watch that the subtle genius reveals itself: Ryan Adams is so high that he can’t remember what he’s supposed to be doing at 4:20. In other words, great news for anyone hoping for more Grateful Dead worship with lots of noodly guitar solos. —Lane Brown