In Brief

There’s nothing new about an album getting lost because of a corporate merger. What’s unusual, and ironic, about this 3-year-old album is that it’s finally coming out (on Tuesday) after lead singer and songwriter Ryan Adams launched a solo career and the group no longer exists.

The spirit of the Band looms in many tracks--recorded, not coincidentally, in Woodstock--manifesting itself in a classic rock elegance that extends beyond the North Carolina group’s previous alt-country emphasis. You can also hear Whiskeytown and producer Ethan Johns reach forward stylistically to incorporate some captivating aural textures, a la Emmylou Harris’ “Wrecking Ball.”

Adams often circles his emotional targets rather than going for the bull’s-eye, delivering his songs with a Sting-like combination of melancholy and reassurance. So although he may sing “I was born in abundance of inherited sadness” in the autobiographical “Jacksonville Skyline,” Adams never sounds self-pitying.

“Pneumonia” isn’t the unqualified masterpiece its status as a lost album has made it in some fans’ eyes, but there’s no arguing it is an impressive leap forward for a band that truly coulda been a contender.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.