Customer Reviews

Sirens Of The Ditch

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Saw him open for Sunvolt and give a much better performance, frankly. "Dress Blues" had me choked up in public and I bought the album on the strength of that song. I only find a couple other songs as good, but there are no real stinkers, either. Like a lot of bands I used to listen to back in the day, they've had a hard time getting their great live band energy to come through in a studio recording. That said, the band's musicianship and Isbell's singing are well represented. I'm looking forward to the next album and Isbell's next crack at songwriting, which I think shows flashes of brilliance here.

Heck, I've just talked myself into revising it to 4 stars instead of 3. Definitely see them live, but until then, even with a couple forgettable songs on it, "Dress Blues" and "Try" are worth the price of this album.

I had to listen a bit before I could review this. It had to sink in for a little while. Like the majority of folks who bought this album I was a Drive-By Truckers fan first and was interested in Isbell based on his output from that band, and fine bit of output it was. I bought the album with DBT comparisons in mind and I don't think I gave this album a fair shot to stand on its own. It is different from DBT, and those difference were a little off-putting at first (because of my expectations) but I found going back a re-listening to be very rewarding.

Oddly, the stuff that is the furthest from his DBT work is, in my opinion the best material here. "Chicago Promenade" struck me as the most sincere song and I wasn't surprised to learn that Isbell had a family member in mind when writing it. It's the kind of song that is personal yet universal, like a relationship with a loved one. Each personal relationship is different, but there is an aspect of familiarity that everyone can relate to since we've all felt it. It's not necessarily what he says in the song, but the feeling behind that gives me goosebumps when I hear it.

That aspect of feeling is also what sets apart "Hurricanes and Hand Grenades." The first line "I've got a glass of wine/I've got a cigarette/I should be feelin' fine/I ain't feelin' nothin' yet" perfectly encapsulates the mood of this lazy, bluesy gem. It creeps along like sneaking wine buzz that slowly warms the entire body until you realize that your just sitting and smiling for no particular reason. The lyrics of the song indicate pain and loss, but vibe is pure mellow.

There are some places where the album feels like it's missing something. Some of the songs are very good and feel like they could be great, but something is keeping them from it. The hard-rockers ("Down in a Hole") don't quite stick in your gut, the pop songs ("Shotgun Wedding" and "Grown") don't quite stick in your head, but they all feel like they are right on the edge. Isbell's got it in him, without a doubt, but he doesn't quite put it all together here.

Definitely not what I was expecting, but definitely money well spent.

Jason Isbell's "Sirens of the Ditch" is brilliant, edgy, intuitive, deep-running country rock of the New School. Isbell is a remarkable poet and combines powerful lyrics with tight, soaring guitar breaks. Frankly, there is something wrong with a person who can resist playing air-guitar on many of these tunes. Though most of the songs are not political, "The Devil is My Running Mate" is one of my favorites because it absolutely nails President Bush.

I don't want to listen to any other music but Isbell's right now, and it's been like that for a month. This doesn't happen to me very much. Be warned, if you listen to this CD a few times, the Sirens will indeed draw you onto Isbell's lyrical island for an extended musical vacation. I look forward to more powerful new music from this former Drive By Trucker.

Purely by luck, in early November we saw Jason Isbell live in front of a large crowd at the Cubbie Bear in Chicago. His was the warm-up band for the main act. Isbell blew the audience away. My son is a veteran Chicago band watcher. When Isbell was urged back for his second encore, my son shouted to me that it was the first time he'd seen a warm-up band get even one encore in the Windy City.

Being a huge Drive By Truckers fan I bought this album the day it came out. I liked it immediately but didn't really love it until I had listened to it many times. When I first listened to the album "dress Blues" stood out a the best track here. Haunting, melodic and with a great message this one hits you in the gut and stays there. I think it's one of the finest songs of the year. Beyond that song, however, nothing really jumped, until after seeing Jason and his excellent band (different players than on this album) I realized just how many great songs are on this album. "Try", "Brand New Kind of Actress" and "Shotgun Wedding" have the kind of raw oomph that great rock songs all have while "Chicago Promenade" and "Hurricanes and Hand Grenades" have a personal feel to them that stay with you long after you're finished listening. The real gems here, however (other that the previously mentioned "Dress Blues") are "In A Razor Town" and "The Magician". The latter song has a bouncing country beat that won't let go along with some pretty haunting lyrics while the former would hardly be out of place on Springsteen's Nebraska. So, yeah, I love this album but still think the songs sound better live, so get out and see a show. After that sit back and wait for the next album from Jason and his new band, I'm certain it will be worth the wait.

Jason Isbell spent several years as the third guitarist/singer/songwriter with modern-day southern rock stalwarts The Drive-By Truckers. He was well-liked by his fellow band members and the songs he contributed to the Truckers last three albums were nearly all excellent. But the dreaded "creative differences" have reared their heads and Isbell has officially left the band to go it alone. This isn't a huge shock, as the band's other two guitarists had been playing together for 15 years before Isbell joined. There just wasn't a lot of room for Jason's songs between two other prolific songwriters, and, being so much younger, his own style was still developing. And it was beginning to develop in different directions than the rest of The Drive-By Truckers.

The parting between the band and Isbell was amicable, as 3/4ths of the remaining Truckers show up on Sirens of the Ditch, serving as his backing band on most of the songs. As someone who loved all of Isbell's previous material, my expectations for an entire album of his songs were pretty darn high. Maybe a little too high. Sirens of the Ditch is a perfect example of what can happen when a songwriter strikes out on his own for the first time. When you only have room for 2-3 songs per album, only the absolute best make the cut. Given a little space to breathe and write a full collection of songs, Isbell manages a good, solid effort. But it's not brilliant from start to finish.

When the Truckers rock out, they tend to do it down and dirty, with dark, meaty riffs and a thick layer of fuzzy guitars. Isbell's rock songs tend to have a catchier, brighter feel to them, and that's encapsulated in the album-opening "Brand New Kind of Actress" and later on in "Shotgun Wedding." Both songs are big and bright, but missing that hook that keeps a song lodged in your brain for days. He has a little more luck with the dancelike "Chicago Promenade," a mid-tempo tune that sounds pretty fresh. Isbell's true strength as a songwriter seems to be with heartfelt ballads, though, and he proves it again here with the album's shining moment, "Dress Blues." It's a story song (like almost all of his songs) that relates the true events of an acquaintance from his Alabama hometown. This young man went off to fight in Iraq and was a week away from coming home for the birth of his first child was when he was killed. The song doesn't take an overtly political stance, instead focusing on the feelings of the town and the funeral and wake. It does a pretty amazing job of bringing out the sorts of emotions the death of a soldier from a small town can have on its residents. Sirens of the Ditch is a worthwhile album, especially with the inclusion of "Dress Blues." Here's hoping that Isbell continues to grow as a songwriter and that his next effort lives up to his full potential.

Jason Isbell's debut solo cd "Sirens of the Ditch" proves he has got no problem being the front man. After serving 5 years with the Drive By Truckers and penning great songs such as "Outfit", "Decoration Day" and "Never Gonna Change", Jason steps out on his own and puts out an amazing work of art.

The cd kicks off with the rockin' "Brand New Kind of Actress". "Chicago Promenade" is a great slow tempo song that pays tribute to Isbell's grandfather. "Dress Blues" is probably the best song on the cd. It's about a Marine from Jason's hometown who was killed overseas.

"Sirens of the Ditch" is a cd that any Drive By Truckers fan will love it's full of great Southern rock, smart song writing and great guitar work.

Jason Isbell is a storyteller, one whose work with DBT took me, a Southern California boy, into the tradations, beauty and horrors of his Deep South. As with the best of DBT's work, he did so in graceful, yet frequently brutal narratives. With DBT, you didn't easily forget a Jason Isbell song. "Outfit", "Declaration Day", "Never gonna Change", "Goddamn Lonely Love", "When the Well runs Dry" ... these songs are movies that play out in your mind and stay.

DBT albums like The Dirty South are intense affairs. One of the many benefits of having three top-notch contributers was it allowed Jason, Patterson and Cooley to bring their top material. In Jason's case, that always meant intense or highly entertaining material ("The Day John Henry Died").

In Jason's debut release, I have listened to it for three weeks now before weighing in with a review. Jason's songwriting skills and guitar playing are evident throughout, with many of the songs improving with ongoing listening.

However, I don't believe the overall quality of his full release is fully realized, thus the four star rating. While contributing 3-4 songs likely representing his best work per DBT album, in this case there isn't enough top level material throughout Sirens of the Ditch. This point of view probably is not fair, my expectations were very high. His previous work usually left me open-mouthed in amazement, very little here comes close to that. It likely would be difficult to produce an entire release consisting of the quality and intensity of Jason's previous work.

I conclude by noting that I am very anxious to see Jason's band in tour. I saw DBT on The Dirty South tour in an amazing show and Jason's guitar work and songs were incredible. As much as I enjoy the majority of his first release, I have a gut feeling that the next one will blow every gear and be simply incredible.

When Isbell was in the Drive-By Truckers, you just knew he had more songs waiting to be heard. On his debut solo album, he proves he has what it takes to go it alone, and even broaden his horizons a bit.

The hard rocking tunes are still there ("Try," "Shotgun Wedding"), and Isbell still shows a real talent for gothic Southern tales ("Down in a Hole"). But he's also penned a couple of great sad songs ("Dress Blues," "In a Razor Town") with lyrics that just ache: "You watch every move / And call it sleight of hand / You know it's what I do / But never who I am" ("The Magician").

This isn't the Truckers, to be sure. Isbell is at once less hard-edged and less overtly Southern than his former band. But anyone familiar with Isbell's contributions to that group will not be surprised (or disappointed) by the material here. Isbell is a real talent, and has surely put out one of the best records we'll see this year.

I only recently discovered Jason Isbell, and I loved the songs he wrote with DBT (while not much liking DBT). This CD is everything I had hoped for. Beautiful ballads, a few rocking tunes, a diverse mix of styles, and all tied together by Jason's funny, smart and wise lyrics. Anyone who loves real music needs to hear Jason Isbell.

Jason Isbell is an incredibly talented musician and songwriter. I was really bummed when he left Drive-By Truckers because his songs were many of my favorites. I was anxious to see what he'd do by himself, and I think it's pretty good. It has the same deep, soulful storytelling of his DBT songs, and his voice is great. The music on some of the songs is kind of hit and miss though. Some of them are great, but a handful, maybe half, don't live up to the power of the DBT stuff. They're a little dull. I know, it's not fair to compare his debut solo album to a band that's been around for years, which is why I'm excited by the promise shown in this album--it shows that he'll do great things on his own. In itself, though, this album isn't great all the way through. Still, if you're a big DBT fan, this is worth picking up.