Album review: Jason Isbell, Southeastern (Southeastern) - Reviews - Music - The Independent

Previous albums with his band The 400 Unit have seen Jason Isbell mining the Southern rock and soul roots of his Alabama/Tennessee heritage, but Southeastern finds him working in a more stripped-down manner which focuses attention firmly on his songs. Fortunately, they're brilliant: vivid, multi-faceted tales of souls adrift. Regretful reminiscences like "Different Days" rub shoulders with more problematic tableaux: the man plotting the murder of a paedophile in "Yvette", and, most creepily, the schizophrenic in "Live Oak" wondering which side of him his lover is attracted to.

Enter URL:

Enter URL:

Have you tried new the Independent Digital Edition apps?

Most Shared
Most Viewed
Most Commented

SPONSORED FEATURES

Topman: Tips from top stylists

Shop London has teamed up with Topman. View the latest film clips shot at Topman Oxford Circus, plus your chance to win a £1,500 voucher.

Win a holiday The Gambia London Trend

Cycling Specsavers #editme

Free Bet Prizes & offers Business videos

Win a tailor-made trip to Graubünden, Switzerland’s No. 1 holiday destination

Discover Swiss alpine holidays – your way

Topman The Gambia London Trend

Cycling Specsavers #editme

Free Bet Prizes & offers Business videos

The Gambia in the Summer

The Gambia may be the smallest country in mainland Africa but this is no reflection of it rich versatile offering.

Topman Win a holiday London Trend

Cycling Specsavers #editme

Free Bet Prizes & offers Business videos

#fashionhappy film competition

Calling all fashionistas! Enter our film competition to win a £2,000 Westfield Gift Card plus an internship at London Live.

Topman Win a holiday The Gambia

Cycling Specsavers #editme

Free Bet Prizes & offers Business videos

Win a family FreeCycle weekend experience

This summer we’ve teamed up with Prudential to offer readers a brilliant opportunity to get the whole family together to experience the fun and freedom of cycling around a 10-mile traffic-free circuit in central London.

Topman Win a holiday The Gambia

London Trend Specsavers #editme

Free Bet Prizes & offers Business videos

Summer Sports Lux

From silk track pants to a swimsuit to make a splash in, this summer’s sport lux moment is certain to stretch your style credentials.

Topman Win a holiday The Gambia

London Trend Cycling #editme

Free Bet Prizes & offers Business videos

Get the look. See the trends.

Westfield and Snapfashion team up to create a new digital styling tool. Create a style board or browse this season's trends. #editme.

Topman Win a holiday The Gambia

London Trend Cycling Specsavers

Free Bet Prizes & offers Business videos

Get £5 free bet with 888sport

Get a £5 free bet every time your team scores in Brazil!

Topman Win a holiday The Gambia

London Trend Cycling Specsavers

#editme Prizes & offers Business videos

Enter the latest Independent competitions

Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.

Topman Win a holiday The Gambia

London Trend Cycling Specsavers

#editme Free Bet Business videos

Business videos from commercial thought leaders

Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.

Topman Win a holiday The Gambia

London Trend Cycling Specsavers

#editme Free Bet Prizes & offers

Independent Dating

Show Me

Between: and

Location:

By clicking 'Search' you
are agreeing to our
Terms of Use.

A History of the First World War in 100 Moments: Peace without magnanimity - the summit in a railway siding that ended the fighting

A History of the First World War in 100 Moments

Peace without magnanimity - the summit in a railway siding that ended the fighting

Scottish independence: How the Commonwealth Games could swing the vote

Scottish independence: How the Commonwealth Games could swing the vote

In the final part of our series, Chris Green arrives in Glasgow - a host city struggling to keep the politics out of its celebration of sport

Out in the cold: A writer spends a night on the streets and hears the stories of the homeless

A writer spends a night on the streets

Rough sleepers - the homeless, the destitute and the drunk - exist in every city. Will Nicoll meets those whose luck has run out

Striking new stations, high-speed links and (whisper it) better services - the UK's railways are entering a new golden age

UK's railways are entering a new golden age

New stations are opening across the country and our railways appear to be entering an era not seen in Britain since the early 1950s

Conchita Wurst becomes a 'bride' on the Paris catwalk - and proves there is life after Eurovision

Conchita becomes a 'bride' on Paris catwalk

Alexander Fury salutes the Eurovision Song Contest winner's latest triumph

Pétanque World Championship in Marseilles hit by

Pétanque 'world cup' hit by death threats

This year's most acrimonious sporting event took place in France, not Brazil. How did pétanque get so passionate?

Whelks are healthy, versatile and sustainable - so why did we stop eating them in the UK?

Why did we stop eating whelks?

Whelks were the Victorian equivalent of the donor kebab and our stocks are abundant. So why do we now export them all to the Far East?

10 best women's sunglasses

In the shade: 10 best women's sunglasses

From luxury bespoke eyewear to fun festival sunnies, we round up the shades to be seen in this summer

Germany vs Argentina World Cup 2014: Lionel Messi? Javier Mascherano is key for Argentina...

World Cup final: Messi? Mascherano is key for Argentina...

No 10 is always centre of attention but Barça team-mate is just as crucial to finalists’ hopes

Siobhan-Marie O’Connor: Swimmer knows she needs Glasgow joy on road to Rio

Siobhan-Marie O’Connor: Swimmer needs Glasgow joy on road to Rio

18-year-old says this month’s Commonwealth Games are a key staging post in her career before time slips away

The true Gaza back-story that the Israelis aren’t telling this week

The true Gaza back-story that the Israelis aren’t telling this week

A future Palestine state will have no borders and be an enclave within Israel, surrounded on all sides by Israeli-held territory, says Robert Fisk

A History of the First World War in 100 Moments: The German people demand an end to the fighting

A History of the First World War in 100 Moments

The German people demand an end to the fighting

New play by Oscar Wilde's grandson reveals what the Irish wit said at his trials

New play reveals what Oscar Wilde said at trials

For a century, what Wilde actually said at his trials was a mystery. But the recent discovery of shorthand notes changed that. Now his grandson Merlin Holland has turned them into a play

Can scientists save the world's sea life from

Can scientists save our sea life?

By the end of the century, the only living things left in our oceans could be plankton and jellyfish. Alex Renton meets the scientists who are trying to turn the tide

Richard III, Trafalgar Studios, review: Martin Freeman gives highly intelligent performance

Richard III review

Martin Freeman’s psychotic monarch is big on mockery but wanting in malice