English Oceans

English Oceans doesn’t quite grab the ear as their 2011 record Go-Go Boots did, but it was well received by critics. Both Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley contribute songs to the record, and it suffers slightly for it, with a sound that feels like it’s trying too hard to remain uniform.

It’s commercial success (number 16 on the US Billboard 200 and 50,000 US sales) signals the continued resurgence of Drive-By Truckers in mainstream circles. Only one single was released, “Pauline Hawkins,” and no video was shot for it. English Oceans is more of a front-to-back listen than any of their previous albums, with each story feeling like a piece of the whole, rather than individual vignettes.