Ryan Adams has been touring with a full band lately, and nobody has been complaining. But the man does some of his best work when he’s full-on solo acoustic, and that’s basically the version of him we got on Conan last night. On the show, Adams sang the softly devastating “My Wrecking Ball,” probably the best song on his new self-titled album. His only accompaniment was a bit of subtle keyboard work. The whole thing was just great, an example of the power and presence that someone of Adams’ caliber can bring to a setting as antiseptic as a late-night stage. Watch the performance below.

Ryan Adams is out now on Pax-Am/Blue Note.