For the first time since his 2007 solo debut, Sirens Of The Ditch, listeners are able to hear an unfiltered representation of this Alabamian prodigy, and the results are so stellar it’s not hyperbole to say that he could be his generation’s answer to Steve Earle.
It’s a poignant, reflective, and very often frank portrayal of humanity’s dual impulses authored by someone who has lived several chapters, yet knows the story is constantly being rewritten.
It’s the most potent expression to date of Isbell’s talent (including his DBT output) and, hopefully, a harbinger of great things to come.
It is, quite frankly, Isbell's best solo album thus far.
The music is secondary. Isbell is among the finest lyricists working today, excelling at wordplay in the purest sense of the term, finding the music in language, how it sounds and flows and fits within the surrounding sounds
The result of his efforts is a celebration of the strength of his character and like his personal journey, Southeastern is story full of meaning and it commands the listener’s full attention.
Southeastern is easily Isbell’s best solo album-- his most richly conceived and generously written.
Reviewing Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: #458
Overrated/Underrated?: Overrated
Jason Isbell is one of those artists that I tried for years to get into but I never quite got into. I really enjoy a handful of songs (like 24 Frames for example, which is a devastating song) but I've never found an album I enjoy too much by him.
Still, there's something admirable about Isbell's music. I've written in previous reviews about how I think there was a revolution of sorts within ... read more
ROLLING STONE #458
this came directly from his heart, and it’s filled with his emotions. everything came together, the instrumentals were amazing, his songwriting was impeccable, and the rawness in his voice strengthened the album’s concept
fav: elephant
least fav: super 8
overall: 9.2/10
The album where Isbell upped the gravitas and the rawness of emotion, delivering the most personal sounding performances of his career so far.
'Southeastern' reveals a maturity to his song writing that's disarming and this is the moment he not only overtakes, but speeds away from his old band's output of the same era.
Classic songs like 'Travelling Alone', 'Elephant' and 'Different Days' sound perfect in intention and execution; tracks that finally could hold their own among the American ... read more
Breaks my heart, throw it against a wall, but in the end he covers it with a blanket, which makes it all okay. Love this man
1 | Cover Me Up 4:53 | 90 |
2 | Stockholm 2:51 | 86 |
3 | Traveling Alone 4:29 | 84 |
4 | Elephant 3:39 | 89 |
5 | Flying over Water 4:00 | 83 |
6 | Different Days 3:36 | 84 |
7 | Live Oak 3:37 | 83 |
8 | Songs That She Sang in the Shower 3:58 | 84 |
9 | New South Wales 3:55 | 81 |
10 | Super 8 3:27 | 76 |
11 | Yvette 4:30 | 85 |
12 | Relatively Easy 4:45 | 86 |
#1 | / | American Songwriter |
#4 | / | Amazon |
#5 | / | PopMatters |
#11 | / | Paste |
#13 | / | eMusic |
#26 | / | Uncut |
#44 | / | Obscure Sound |
/ | NPR Music |