Music review: Bryan Adams – ‘So Happy It Hurts’
Just like back in 1991, Bryan Adams is once again waking up the neighbors on his latest studio release.
“So Happy It Hurts” finds Adams crafting more of his signature straightforward pop-rock offerings that follow the Canadian singer-songwriter’s simplistic formula for delivering infectious arrangements filled with an abundance of catchy guitar riffs and singalong choruses.
The title track opens the set by detailing the exhilarating feeling of hitting the open road after two years of lockdown with Adams announcing, “Blacktop burning underneath my wheels/It’s crazy how I feel.”
Adams goes on to summarize the album’s overall mood by declaring, “I’m so happy it hurts/That stupid grin on my face/Must be some kind of curse.”
He continues to focus on the positive by turning misfortune into an uplifting, teachable moment on “Never Gonna Rain.” With time as a healer and love as a teacher, Adams finds a silver lining proclaiming, “And I’m gonna smile like I never had a heartache/Laugh like I never had a care.”
“On the road again/Since I can’t remember when/It’s back to the music/Where I know I can lose it,” sings Adams as he expresses his excitement for once again hitting the road to perform, something he was destined to do since he got his first real six-string at the five-and-dime.
Tracks like “You Lift Me Up,” “Always Have, Always Will” and “Just Like Me, Just Like You,” feature Adams serving up messages of love and partnership similar to earlier hits such as “Heaven,” “It’s Only Love” and “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You.”
Adams embraces a rockabilly vibe on “I’ve Been Looking for You.” It’s a great change of pace as Adams discovers his soulmate and enthusiastically confesses, “I know it might sound crazy/Ever since I was a baby/I’ve been looking for you.”
“These Are the Moments That Make Up My Life” brings the set to a sentimental close with Adams reflecting on the simple everyday wonders that make life worth living. The 62-year-old sounds comfortably content as he tenderly sings, “Stones turn to diamonds/Days turn to years/Old flames turn to ashes/But love perseveres.”
Adams’ joy is certainly contagious as he shows no signs of slowing down or wiping that smile from his face anytime soon.