Weathervanes (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit album)

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Weathervanes
Studio album by
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
ReleasedJune 9, 2023 (2023-06-09)
Length60:30
LabelSoutheastern
ProducerJason Isbell
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit chronology
Georgia Blue
(2021) 		Weathervanes
(2023)

Weathervanes is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Jason Isbell, and the sixth accompanied by his backing band the 400 Unit. It was released on June 9, 2023, through Southeastern Records.[1] The album received acclaim from critics, as well as the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

Background[edit]

Isbell wrote the tracks while starring in Martin Scorsese's 2023 film Killers of the Flower Moon.[2]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.8/10[3]
Metacritic82/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Paste8.2/10[4]
Pitchfork7.5/10[5]
Slant Magazine[6]
Sputnikmusic4.2/5[7]

Weathervanes received a score of 82 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 13 critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[2] Mark Deming of AllMusic wrote that the album "finds [Isbell] shaking things up a bit to keep himself sharp [...] and if the sound of the album isn't radically different, the feel is leaner and more direct while still full-bodied and richly detailed". Deming concluded that Weathervanes is "a triumph, an outstanding set of songs and performances from someone who has already proved they're one of the strongest, truest voices in American roots rock".[1]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine, reviewing the album for Pitchfork, found that "these songs reveal their intricacies slowly, the measured, almost leisurely pace suggesting that Isbell is confident that his audience will stick with the album as they learn its subtle pleasures", and that Isbell's production "chooses to emphasize performance as much as the songwriting, a decision that shines a light on the 400 Unit's chemistry", with the 400 Unit "excel[ling] on the quieter songs".[5] Will Hermes of Rolling Stone described the album as "brutally beautiful" and wrote that its "songs tremble with anger, desperation, and fear; characters wrestle with regret and unhealthy appetites, struggling to cut losses in the wake of bad choices and cascading consequences", commenting that "in these grim times, this is effectively feel-good music".[8]

Ellen Johnson of Paste wrote that "despite a few lyrical lowlights, Weathervanes is another undeniable product from Isbell and his fellow players" and that it "hits close to home too, but it finds more inspiration in the everyday moments". Johnson pointed out "its steadiness" as "one of its most attractive attributes" and concluded that the album "again affirms Isbell's place as an Alabama legend".[4] A staff reviewer for Sputnikmusic felt that while the album's "subject matter of individual songs may run a gamut, but themes are near-universally downcast and distressing", the 400 Unit provides "bursting-out-of-the-gate energy" and Isbell "reliably exceptional songwriting", as well as "a talent for subtle but inescapable hooks which make the doom and gloom of these songs not only bearable, but rather inviting".[7]

Jeremy Winograd of Slant Magazine opined that Isbell "seems to have intended the self-produced Weathervanes as a long-overdue showcase for the 400 Unit as an ensemble" and felt that while the band's "musicianship is sparkling throughout", Weathervanes is "the least consistent Isbell album in nearly 15 years". Winograd also remarked that "at 13 tracks and over an hour of similar tempos and familiar-sounding melodies, the album often feels plodding and redundant".[6]

Track listing[edit]

Weathervanes track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Death Wish"4:30
2."King of Oklahoma"5:02
3."Strawberry Woman"4:10
4."Middle of the Morning"4:40
5."Save the World"5:09
6."If You Insist"3:45
7."Cast Iron Skillet"3:24
8."When We Were Close"3:57
9."Volunteer"4:05
10."Vestavia Hills"4:31
11."White Beretta"3:56
12."This Ain't It"6:14
13."Miles"7:07
Total length:60:30

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Weathervanes
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[9] 88
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[10] 130
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[11] 43
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] 75
Scottish Albums (OCC)[13] 9
UK Albums (OCC)[14] 51
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[15] 8
US Billboard 200[16] 12
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[17] 2
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[18] 1
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[19] 2

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Deming, Mark. "Jason Isbell, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – Weathervanes Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Weathervanes by Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  3. ^ "Weathervanes by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Johnson, Ellen (June 7, 2023). "Album of the Week | Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: Weathervanes". Paste. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (June 8, 2023). "Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: Weathervanes Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Winograd, Jeremy (June 4, 2023). "Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Weathervanes Review: So Close Yet So Far". Slant Magazine. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Sunnyvale (June 6, 2023). "Review: Jason Isbell – Weathervanes". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  8. ^ Hermes, Will (June 6, 2023). "Jason Isbell Hits a Brutally Beautiful Songwriting Peak with Weathervanes". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  9. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 19 June 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1737. Australian Recording Industry Association. June 19, 2023. p. 6.
  10. ^ "Ultratop.be – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Weathervanes" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  11. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Weathervanes" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  12. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Weathervanes" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  13. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  14. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  15. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  16. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of June 24, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  17. ^ "Americana/Folk Albums: Week of June 24, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  18. ^ "Independent Albums: Week of June 24, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  19. ^ "Top Rock Albums: Week of June 24, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
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