Let it Rock: Let’s Hear it From the Boys

By Sues

This week is all about the boys. Cute ones at that. Between Jason Isbell, M. Ward, and Sam Roberts, you’ll forget all about last week’s Valentine’s Day and find yourself falling in love all over again. Even if you have a man, come on; can he sing like any of these guys? No matter what, you’re not going to be able to keep from swooning.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit- Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

A long-time Drive-By Truckers fan, I wasn’t very happy when Jason Isbell left the group. Luckily, he’s continuing to make albums on his own; this time with the 400 Unit. Jason’s sound isn’t quite as Southern Rock-ish as the Drive-By Truckers, but his voice still carries the same smooth twang. The second I heard “Sunstroke,” I knew it was going to be one of my favorites, reminding me a bit of an entirely non-spoken version of the Drive-by Trucker’s “World of Hurt.” Just like Jason did in DBT, he still writes amazing lyrics that are always thoughtful and engaging life narratives: “Here it is morning for some folks/Twilight for those of us left/Sleep while the soldiers get sunstroke/Make little fools of ourselves.” Jason ends the album with “The Last Song I Will Write,” but I know I’ll be pretty upset if it really is the last song he writes. A quote regarding the album from JasonIsbell.com says, “Yeah, it’s a sad record, but he’s laughing. And it’s a good sound, all around.” And this easily sums the album up.

M. Ward – Hold Time

I hadn’t heard of M. Ward until I started listening to She & Him, which was started by Ward along with Zooey DeSchanel. I immediately fell in love the duo, though Zooey tends to overshadow Ward in many of the songs. When I heard he was coming out with a solo album, I knew I had to listen. Then I learned that Hold Time is actually his sixth solo album. M. Ward’s sound is definitely reminiscent of She & Him and Zooey even makes an appearance on some tracks. Except, even when she does sing, it’s clear the songs all belong to M. Ward. Along with writing some original music, Ward also covers tracks like Buddy Holly’s “Rave On,” which is absolutely amazing with Zooey on backup. Lucinda Williams accompanies Ward in a cover of Don Gibson’s “Oh Lonesome Me,” a song completely filled with feeling so intense you will feel like you’re experiencing it yourself. While I can easily sit and listen to M. Ward’s music, I also see it as fabulous background music, perfect for when you need to place your concentration elsewhere. I’ll definitely be checking out Ward’s previous albums.

Sam Roberts – Love at the End of the World

I tend to give Canadians a chance when it comes to music, mostly because of Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, and The Barenaked Ladies. So when I heard Sam Roberts was amazing and Canadian, I figured chances were high that he would be out of this world. On first listen, I realized that if you crossed the voices of Jeff Tweedy of Wilco and Doug Marstsch of Built to Spill, you’d probably end up with something like Sam Roberts. And to me, that is an extremely good thing. My favorite track on the album is “Them Kids” and its declarations that “now the kids don’t know how to dance to the rock and roll.” This song will have you dancing, though it’s not exactly rock ‘n’ roll. I’m also a big fan of the title track and “Stripmall Religion,” but after listening to the album a couple times, I honestly fell in love with almost every song. They’re all so unique, with really only Roberts’ voice tying them all together. Even the more solemn tracks on the album seem upbeat and cheerful when Sam Roberts sings them. I told you Canadians knew how to rock.

[Photos courtesy of Amazon.com and MartinVangoor on Flickr.]