For many long term fans of Jason Isbell they seem to rate this as the highwater mark of his career to date. I have only recently acquired his latest new album, the Nashville Sound, which I rate highly and have really enjoyed, so I am now investigating his back catalogue. This is a modern Country/Americana , dealing with the seamier and sometimes sadder side of life. Some of the songs rock out , like "Flying Over Water", and "Super 8" with loud electric raucous guitar right from the start and a more upbeat arrangement with a singalong chorus .
However, for me it is the quieter more poignant songs that leave a longer lasting and memorable impression. These songs are filled with remorse and regret on troubled relationships, and what might have been with hindsight, such as on "Different Days". The challenges of life on the road on "Traveling Alone" and elsewhere frequent references to excesses of drink and drugs like cocaine abound. It seems like he has lived life to the full in the past, and sometimes suffered the consequences on his lifestyle and relationships. Many of the songs tell sad stories, but his singing is clear and assured at the centre of things, and the supporting band are high quality musicians who provide an assured platform for this strong set of songs.
I have listened to this album half a dozen times now, and its nuances have grown on me with every listen. The good news is that he now seems to have cleaned up his life 5 years on from here and has got a new family with young children, and has turned over a new leaf. Sometimes a broken heart and sad or challenging incidents in life make for the most memorable heartbreaker songs, and this album seems to have been put together after he was recovering from a low point. "Elephant" is perhaps the most poignant song of all, dealing with the loss of a loved one from cancer, a real tear jerker. I am not sure how many of the songs reflect his direct personal experiences, and how many are imagined scenarios, but it is a cracking set of songs well written and excellently performed, that justifies the rave reviews of others. I can now appreciate what all the fuss is about .
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Southeastern
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Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, 11 June 2013
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Product details
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- Product Dimensions : 30.73 x 30.99 x 1.02 cm; 317.51 Grams
- Manufacturer : THIRTY TIGERS
- Manufacturer reference : SER 99841
- Original Release Date : 2013
- Label : THIRTY TIGERS
- ASIN : B00CCEHUAU
- Number of discs : 1
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Best Sellers Rank:
2,077 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
- 4 in Southern Rock
- 1,318 in Pop Music
- Customer Reviews:
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Product description
Limite 180gm vinyl LP pressing including download. 2013 solo album from the Roots/Americana singer/songwriter. Southeastern contains 12 new Isbell compositions and they are the most personal songs of self-reflection and discovery he has written to date. By no means is Southeastern a wholly solemn offering. Tracks such as 'Stockholm' (with Kim Richey) and 'Traveling Alone' (with Amanda Shires) offer laid back tempos and memorable choruses, while 'Flying Over Water' and 'Super 8' are strong reminders of Isbell's deep roots in rock. The poetic and deeply intimate lyrics are the common thread that runs throughout the album.
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Customer reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
1,266 global ratings
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Top reviews from other countries

alneman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Critically acclaimed high water mark with a set of sad poignant songs at a low point in his life brilliantly performed hearfelt
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 November 2017Verified Purchase
8 people found this helpful
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therealus
5.0 out of 5 stars
Isbell just keeps getting better
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 December 2013Verified Purchase
Although I'm sorry Jason Isbell left Drive By Truckers - I think both parties lost something on that deal - it's perfectly understandable when his subsequent output is considered. He must have been positively bursting with all the songs he had waiting to be let out when at best he only managed three or four per album with the Truckers. Since they released their last album, Isbell has released at least three, and his latest, Southeastern, is about his best.
The songs and music cover a variety of subjects and run the gamut of emotions from sad to totally desolate, Isbell apparently channeling Leonard Cohen in that respect, with some quiet and contemplative ballads alongside more lively rockers, though there's no AC/DC here.
Traveling Alone opens with the most plaintive fiddle ever, Amanda Shires apparently strangling the notes out of her instrument, and as she continues to squeeze melancholy from its pores Isbell's voice and words match the ongoing mood. Elephant, the following track, hardly lifts the veil, being about the big C, and features the bitter line "No one dies with dignity".
Songs That She Sang In The Shower, one of a number of songs in a pleasing 3/4 time, is the first of a couple of songs where the singer is on the wrong end of a beating, opening with a smack in the eye which requires application of a steak, and progressing to his significant other walking out as a consequence, prompting his reflection on her musical repertoire whilst showering. The second song in which he receives a beating is Super 8, the chorus of which, "Don't want to die in a Super 8 motel", reminded me of a stay in Lafayette.
The collection ends with Relatively Easy, in which Simon and Garfunkel meet the E Street Band for another contemplation of loneliness.
Since buying the record I've played it constantly, and it's one that rewards repeated listening, with something new noticed every time, about the music or the words. Really, really excellent.
The songs and music cover a variety of subjects and run the gamut of emotions from sad to totally desolate, Isbell apparently channeling Leonard Cohen in that respect, with some quiet and contemplative ballads alongside more lively rockers, though there's no AC/DC here.
Traveling Alone opens with the most plaintive fiddle ever, Amanda Shires apparently strangling the notes out of her instrument, and as she continues to squeeze melancholy from its pores Isbell's voice and words match the ongoing mood. Elephant, the following track, hardly lifts the veil, being about the big C, and features the bitter line "No one dies with dignity".
Songs That She Sang In The Shower, one of a number of songs in a pleasing 3/4 time, is the first of a couple of songs where the singer is on the wrong end of a beating, opening with a smack in the eye which requires application of a steak, and progressing to his significant other walking out as a consequence, prompting his reflection on her musical repertoire whilst showering. The second song in which he receives a beating is Super 8, the chorus of which, "Don't want to die in a Super 8 motel", reminded me of a stay in Lafayette.
The collection ends with Relatively Easy, in which Simon and Garfunkel meet the E Street Band for another contemplation of loneliness.
Since buying the record I've played it constantly, and it's one that rewards repeated listening, with something new noticed every time, about the music or the words. Really, really excellent.
22 people found this helpful
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bruceybonus
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 September 2015Verified Purchase
It is rare that I buy an album on a whim by an artist I must admit to never having heard of and like it quite as much as this album. This is a classic, and I don't use those words lightly.
(It was recommended to me by Spotify as I'm a fan of Glen Hansard. Well, the similarities are there but not blindingly obvious I must say)
There is something about this album that just comes together on all fronts. The voice is perfect, the tunes and the musicianship are just cracking, and the lyrics - whether the icing on the cake or the foundations on which everything else sits - are stunning. Given the subject matter of a number of the songs (cancer, domestic abuse, alcoholism, break ups) this could be a very depressing listen and I have other albums that fall into that category. However this album never comes across as depressing - heartwrenching yes but I can, and do, listen to it again and again. And again.
Very clever stuff indeed and I can't wait to discover more by Mr Isbell ...
(It was recommended to me by Spotify as I'm a fan of Glen Hansard. Well, the similarities are there but not blindingly obvious I must say)
There is something about this album that just comes together on all fronts. The voice is perfect, the tunes and the musicianship are just cracking, and the lyrics - whether the icing on the cake or the foundations on which everything else sits - are stunning. Given the subject matter of a number of the songs (cancer, domestic abuse, alcoholism, break ups) this could be a very depressing listen and I have other albums that fall into that category. However this album never comes across as depressing - heartwrenching yes but I can, and do, listen to it again and again. And again.
Very clever stuff indeed and I can't wait to discover more by Mr Isbell ...
2 people found this helpful
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Andy Sweeney
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written and performed
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 December 2013Verified Purchase
This is my first venture into Jason Isbell's solo work, after being a fan of his old band, Drive By Truckers, for some years, so I was struck by the difference in the music and also how much his writing has evolved over the years. Listening to it carefully, it is quite apparent that Jason has been through a lot to be able to write as personal and powerfully honest an album as "Southeastern" is and a little bit of research revealed a battle with alcoholism and a history of relationship difficulties, the understanding of which gives the album a greater context. This work doesn't specifically document these points in his life, it more sees Isbell attempting to live his life after beating addiction and coming to terms with his mistakes and frailties. It has a very introspective, personal feel to the album, but it stops short of being gloomy; it's not the kind of record that is going to make you want to turn to the bottle yourself.
There are many highlights to be enjoyed here (although I'm not sure if enjoyed is an appropriate term). The album begins with one of the best tracks, with "Cover Me Up" and Isbell's clear, southern-tinged voice expressing his vulnerability beautifully. The appealing "Stockholm" has the air of one of Ryan Adams' more mainstream compositions and the gentle country tones of "Travelling Alone" suit the weariness of the lyrics perfectly. "Elephant" is, for me, undoubtedly the greatest song on the album, written about a friend who was dying of cancer and the sheer humanity expressed is enough to bring a lump to the throat and so "Flying Over Water", a superior country-rock piece, is a welcome musically uplifting punch in the gut, albeit with rather melancholy lyrics. "Yvette", the heartbreaking story of a classmate going through sexual abuse at home, is my last pick of this release and the detail and emotion invested into this track means that it is truly superb; it rivals "Elephant" as the album's greatest accomplishment.
This album isn't a revolutionary piece, but it's definitely very good indeed. There isn't anything thematically on "Southeastern" that hasn't been said elsewhere previously and the music doesn't take this listener to any places he hasn't been before either, but there is something rather wonderful about Isbell's latest that makes it undeniably brilliant; it is so well written, especially the lyrical content, and so very beautifully performed that it is impossible to listen to and not be anything other then both impressed and moved. In fact, as accomplished as the music is, without the brilliance of the lyrics, "Southeastern" could easily have been a much lesser album. I'm not sure it's quite the classic album, overall, that I've read other reviewers say it is, but its excellence is without question and there are a handful of songs on this album that make it a worthy addition to any serious music lover's collection.
There are many highlights to be enjoyed here (although I'm not sure if enjoyed is an appropriate term). The album begins with one of the best tracks, with "Cover Me Up" and Isbell's clear, southern-tinged voice expressing his vulnerability beautifully. The appealing "Stockholm" has the air of one of Ryan Adams' more mainstream compositions and the gentle country tones of "Travelling Alone" suit the weariness of the lyrics perfectly. "Elephant" is, for me, undoubtedly the greatest song on the album, written about a friend who was dying of cancer and the sheer humanity expressed is enough to bring a lump to the throat and so "Flying Over Water", a superior country-rock piece, is a welcome musically uplifting punch in the gut, albeit with rather melancholy lyrics. "Yvette", the heartbreaking story of a classmate going through sexual abuse at home, is my last pick of this release and the detail and emotion invested into this track means that it is truly superb; it rivals "Elephant" as the album's greatest accomplishment.
This album isn't a revolutionary piece, but it's definitely very good indeed. There isn't anything thematically on "Southeastern" that hasn't been said elsewhere previously and the music doesn't take this listener to any places he hasn't been before either, but there is something rather wonderful about Isbell's latest that makes it undeniably brilliant; it is so well written, especially the lyrical content, and so very beautifully performed that it is impossible to listen to and not be anything other then both impressed and moved. In fact, as accomplished as the music is, without the brilliance of the lyrics, "Southeastern" could easily have been a much lesser album. I'm not sure it's quite the classic album, overall, that I've read other reviewers say it is, but its excellence is without question and there are a handful of songs on this album that make it a worthy addition to any serious music lover's collection.
2 people found this helpful
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Mr. James
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful record [VINYL REVIEW]
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 August 2020Verified Purchase
Stunning Album (Vinyl Review).
The record itself is 180 gram heavyweight vinyl. The music is stunning, the lyrics are heartfelt and it’s an album that can be enjoyed in any mood in my opinion. A brilliant album from start to finish, with a blend of acoustic, and soft rock throughout.
The record itself is 180 gram heavyweight vinyl. The music is stunning, the lyrics are heartfelt and it’s an album that can be enjoyed in any mood in my opinion. A brilliant album from start to finish, with a blend of acoustic, and soft rock throughout.

5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful record [VINYL REVIEW]
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 August 2020
Stunning Album (Vinyl Review).Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 August 2020
The record itself is 180 gram heavyweight vinyl. The music is stunning, the lyrics are heartfelt and it’s an album that can be enjoyed in any mood in my opinion. A brilliant album from start to finish, with a blend of acoustic, and soft rock throughout.
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