This Empty Nothern Hemisphere

'Gregory Alan Isakov has been up-and-coming for some time, but his third self-released album, This Empty Northern Hemisphere, is poised to be his breakthrough. With original lyrics which straddle longing, nostalgia, and heartache, Isakov delivers songs that defy categorization and speak to more universal truths. Backed by Brandi Carlile on a handful of tunes, Isakov delivers one of the best breakthrough albums of recent note . . . Each song tells just enough of a story to convey an emotion. Isakov has a knack for opening proverbial doors and inviting you inside. What you see and think and feel once you enter is up to you. He's simply there to stir up the clouds and dust. His arrangements are lush and intuitive, full enough to spread out against the speakers, but never crossing the line into overwrought melodrama. If his lyrics weren't so honest, they may almost feel effortless, as he lets lines like this one from "Big Black Car" roll right into necessary instrumental breaks: "Hope was a letter I never could send / love was a country I couldn't defend."' - Kim Ruehl / About.com