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Sirens of the Ditch
by Jason Isbell

Jason Isbell reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 78 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
9.5 out of 10
based on 15 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 12 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

Jason Isbell's first solo album since he left the Drive By Truckers.

LABEL: New West
RELEASE DATE: 10 July 2007
DISCS: 1 disc
GENRE(S): Rock, Alternative

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

91
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Sirens is the sound of a freshly liberated songwriter scouring his soul - and coming up full-handed.
Read Full Review
80
Village Voice
The record smoothly lures and detours familiar, '70s-based rock-blues-country sounds and expectations while highlighting Isbell's character-actor flair.
Read Full Review
80
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.
Read Full Review
80
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.
Read Full Review
80
Amazon.com
Isbell's best songs will remind you of Richard Buckner, Raymond Carver, and Neil Young.
Read Full Review
80
Hartford Courant
The simpler arrangements suit Isbell on songs with an understated but unmistakable Southern rock flair.
Read Full Review
74
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.
Read Full Review
73
cokemachineglow
Sirens is no "Heartbreaker" - though the stylistic grab-bag is reminiscent of Adams’s debut - but it is a damn good start.
Read Full Review
70
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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70
Blender
It's all top-shelf alt-country: road-hardened, literate and dark as ever. [August 2007, p.114]
70
Hot Press
Jason Isbell, formerly of the Drive By Truckers, releases a solid, sad, gritty new album as a solo artist.
Read Full Review
70
Spin
Given time, Isbell could be roots rock's Flannery O'Connor. [Aug 2007, p.102]
70
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.
Read Full Review
67
Austin Chronicle
Isbell has pulled together another gritty Southern Siren song.
Read Full Review
40
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.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! 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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