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The Onion (A.V. Club)

Sirens is the sound of a freshly liberated songwriter scouring his soul - and coming up full-handed.

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Village Voice

The record smoothly lures and detours familiar, '70s-based rock-blues-country sounds and expectations while highlighting Isbell's character-actor flair.

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Uncut

Overall, Sirens… may be a bit of a stylistic scattershot, but the Muscle Shoals foundation and Isbell’s razor-sharp songwriting mark it as an auspicious debut.

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All Music Guide

This is a remarkably mature and impressive debut from an artist who seems like he's just getting started and his best stuff lies ahead of him.

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Amazon.com

Isbell's best songs will remind you of Richard Buckner, Raymond Carver, and Neil Young.

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Hartford Courant

The simpler arrangements suit Isbell on songs with an understated but unmistakable Southern rock flair.

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Pitchfork

"The Devil Is My Running Mate" a weak ending for a strong debut full of the kind of confident, charismatic songwriting that just can't be taught.

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cokemachineglow

Sirens is no "Heartbreaker" - though the stylistic grab-bag is reminiscent of Adams’s debut - but it is a damn good start.

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PopMatters

Sirens sounds deceptively ordinary - it could be a Springsteen or John Hiatt record, professionally performed and plainly captured, yet executed with masterful effortlessness.

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Blender

It's all top-shelf alt-country: road-hardened, literate and dark as ever. [August 2007, p.114]

Hot Press

Jason Isbell, formerly of the Drive By Truckers, releases a solid, sad, gritty new album as a solo artist.

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Spin

Given time, Isbell could be roots rock's Flannery O'Connor. [Aug 2007, p.102]

Paste Magazine

Isbell shines most when he’s not channeling; tracks like 'Chicago Promenade,' 'Shotgun Wedding' and tasteful protest ballad 'Dress Blues' (which smartly chooses empathy over proselytizing) find his sound evolving into an alternately rocked-up and quietly satisfying maturity.

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Austin Chronicle

Isbell has pulled together another gritty Southern Siren song.

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NOW Magazine

Isbell shows us his sensitive side in a collection of lightly strummed breakup ballads and weepy slow-dancers you'd expect to get from Ryan Adams. That's not an endorsement.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 9.5 (out of 10) based on 12 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Gary M gave it a10:
"The Devil Is My Running Mate" a weak ending for a strong debut full of the kind of confident, charismatic songwriting that just can't be taught" Are you F'n kidding me??? This is the best ANTI WAR, ANTI RACIST songs since Vietnam.

T g gave it a10:
If you can't find a few cuts on this cd that you really like, you just don't like music. Highly versatile w/ rock, country,folk, blues, ballads. It's done masterfully instrumentally as well as lyrically(is that a word?)great wk from a hometown guy. NOTE: He's not ryan adams and it's not a truckers album!

Marcos M gave it a10:
Amazing songwriting.

Tim L gave it a10:
Why do music critics feel the need to compare Jason Isbell to Ryan Adams? Jesus..... this is a great CD from front to back. You're amazing Jason!

Chris H gave it a9:
Question: How can the Austin Chronicle review be translated into a 67? They gave the album 3 stars. 3/4 stars is 75 percent. 3/5 stars is 60 percent. It would have to be 3/4.5 stars to be 67 percent.

Rodney H. gave it a10:
Outstanding!!

da h. gave it a10:
no surprise its great.

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