Sirens of the Ditch

Sirens of the Ditch is the debut solo album released by singer-songwriter and former Drive-By Truckers lead guitarist, Jason Isbell. The album was released on July 10, 2007.

Sirens of the Ditch
Studio album by Jason Isbell
Released	July 10, 2007 (2007-07-10)
Recorded	2003–2007
Studio	FAME Studios (Florence, Alabama)
Genre	rock, alternative country
Length	50:16
Label	New West Records (2007)
Producer	Jason Isbell, Patterson Hood
Jason Isbell chronology
Sirens of the Ditch (2007) Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (2009)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	78/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The A.V. Club	A−[3]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[4]
Pitchfork	7.4/10[5]
PopMatters	[6]

After leaving Drive-By Truckers amicably in 2007, Isbell released Sirens of the Ditch on New West Records. Sirens of the Ditch was recorded at FAME Studios, where among the musicians helping to record the album was Patterson Hood of Drive by Truckers and Spooner Oldham, famous for his work with Aretha Franklin and Neil Young.^[7] According to Washington Post writer Catherine Lewis, Sirens of the Ditch has "a more bluesy pop sound" than Isbell's work with Drive-By Truckers.^[8] The first single from the album, "Brand New Kind of Actress," deals with the death of Lana Clarkson in Phil Spector's mansion.^[9] Another single, "Dress Blues," concerns the death of Corporal Matthew Conley, a US Marine from Isbell's hometown who was killed in the Iraq War.^[7] "Dress Blues" was also recorded by the Zac Brown Band (featuring Jewel), on their April 2015 release, Jekyll + Hyde.

The album was re-released on July 13, 2018. Titled Sirens of the Ditch: Deluxe Edition, the album features four previously unreleased songs.^[10]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Brand New Kind of Actress"	5:35
2.	"Down in a Hole"	4:22
3.	"Try"	4:52
4.	"Chicago Promenade"	3:23
5.	"Dress Blues"	4:11
6.	"Grown"	3:46
7.	"Hurricanes and Hand Grenades"	5:11
8.	"In a Razor Town"	3:19
9.	"Shotgun Wedding"	3:49
10.	"The Magician"	4:20
11.	"The Devil Is My Running Mate"	3:45

Deluxe Edition

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Whisper"	4:41
13.	"Crystal Clear"	5:02
14.	"The Assassin"	3:40
15.	"Racetrack Romeo"	5:00

Personnel

• David Barbe – keyboards
• Mike Dillon, Brad Morgan – drums
• David Hood – bass guitar
• Patterson Hood – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Jason Isbell – banjo, bass guitar, dobro, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Hammond organ, piano, lead vocals, background vocals, Wurlitzer
• Clay Leverett – background vocals
• John Neff – pedal steel guitar
• Spooner Oldham – Hammond organ
• Shonna Tucker – bass guitar, background vocals