by Stephen Thomas ErlewineBryan Adams released his ninth studio album, Room Service, in September 2004 in the U.K. and his native Canada, but it took seven months for the disc to receive American release. Frankly, the delay didn't really matter -- not only did Adams' star lose its luster in the U.S. sometime after his 1993 hits collection, So Far So Good, but Room Service sounds like it could have been recorded in 1993. It's so far removed from any modern music, in either the adult contemporary or rock realms, that it sounds as if Adams unearthed a collection of punchy, polished pop/rock tunes and power ballads that he cut 15 years ago and released it as his new album. This is marginally better than 1996's 18 'Til I Die, where Adams seemed desperate to sound and (more accurately) look hip, but Room Service isn't as memorable as that effort because it offers up Bryan Adams by the numbers, so slick and safe that it evaporates after it finishes playing. It's not bad -- it never takes enough risks to be bad; it's merely pleasant and professional -- and surely Adams fans who have stuck with him this long will find it ingratiating, but it sure raises the question of why he even bothers to record new albums if he doesn't have anything new to say.