Strangers Almanac first grabs you because it sounds so great. It's filled with dynamic performances that smolder moodily, then flare quickly into firestorms of twangy and soulful guitar rock that fuse Uncle Tupelo with the Stones, the Replacements, with Gram Parsons. But what makes this album essential are the songs of frontman Ryan Adams. Take "Houses On The Hill," about a man merely going through a box of old letters: in just two verses, and to a melody that's the definition of bittersweet, Adams relates a drama more rich in detail than most novels. One of '97's best albums. --David Cantwell