I picked up the two new EP's from Ryan Adams over the weekend - Love is Hell parts 1 and 2. I'm happy to say that although their quality is inconsistent, both EPs feature several songs which can stand with his best work and which are far superior to anything on his current official new proper album 'Rock N' Roll'. Interestingly one of the better songs is 'English Girls Approximately' - a splendid number featuring Marianne Faithfull on backing vocals and which from the lyrics I can only assume is addressed to Beth Orton - whom he is rumoured to have had a brief fling with while helping her out on her album 'Daybreaker'. Here's the verse which clinches it:-

Tall drink of water, she's a Norfolk waterfall
Little daybreaker, she's a shootin' like a cannonball
Crazy like a rocket when you're coming through my radio
Kept me in your bed till the wintertime turned to fall
Fall time coming, and I guess my little bird can sing
Come on Elizabeth, a come on a Bethany
Come on further, I'm tired and I want to sleep
My little dove do, and I guess she was done with me
Said you didn't love me, it was right on time, I was just about to tell you that it'll be alright
Said you didn't love me, didn't want a thing, English girls can be so mean
But ohh, look at you now
Ohh, look at you now
Mmmm, best I've ever seen
Just a tall drink of water, just a-pourin' on down the sink.

The full lyrics are here. You can listen to the song in the discography section of Ryans official site - the complete albums are being streamed.