Seven Mile island is an almost flawless album that sounds like it could have been recorded in 1979 or 2009.   The 400 unit serve as a great compliment to Jason’s exceptional guitar chops, giving a lot of depth to each track.  Songs range from outright rockers (However Long, Good), soulful & bluesy jams (No Choice in the Matter, The Blue) to delicate balads ( Streetlights, Last Song I will Write).

While many bands in todays revival of the southern rock genre(including Jason’s former band the Drive By Truckers) have a tendency to over saturate the music with southern banter, leaving no question which side of the Mason Dixon line they come from, this album avoids the cliches and fleshes out some good all around music.  When Jason does write songs about the south, he does so in a very engaging way spinning intimate narratives about life in a way reminiscent of a Levon Helm penned song from “The Band”.

This album doesn’t sound like a Truckers album, and showcases a very cohesive and seemingly relaxed “Unit” supporting some very impressive material written by Isbell.   A strong effort from front to back, this album is an absolute winner.