The Weatherman (album)

The Weatherman
Studio album by
Gregory Alan Isakov
ReleasedJuly 9, 2013
Recorded"The Mountain House"
GenreIndie folk, singer-songwriter
Length41:35
LabelSuitcase Town Music
ProducerGregory Alan Isakov, Jamie Mefford

The Weatherman is Gregory Alan Isakov's third full-length album, released in 2013. The album was recorded in solitude outside the quiet mountain town of Nederland, Colorado over the course of a year and a half.

The Weatherman peaked at number 102 on the Billboard 200 albums chart during a two-week stay on the chart.[1]

Background

Explaining the new album, Isakov said, "To me, the idea of a weatherman is really powerful. There's a guy on television or on the radio telling us the future, and nobody cares. It's this daily mundane miracle, and I think the songs I chose are about noticing the beauty in normal, everyday life." Nathaniel Rateliff provided background vocals.[2]

Reception

Simon Holland of Folk Radio wrote of the album – "There is an overall consistency of approach. This is an album of gentle swells, intimate voices, with ripples of grace notes and heavenly choirs adding to the emotional ebb and flow. It’s a gently paced 41 and a bit minutes of music that is quietly beguiling, rather than attention seeking, but when you do pay proper intent, the rewards are many."[2]

Jedd Ferris from The Washington Post said, "From start to finish, the album keeps an even-keel mood, but in an age of ubiquitous Americana genre mashing, it's a welcome change of pace."[3]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Amsterdam"Gregory Alan Isakov3:18
2."Saint Valentine"Isakov3:23
3."Second Chances"Isakov, Ilan Isakov3:49
4."Living Proof"Isakov4:17
5."Time Will Tell"Isakov2:47
6."O' City Lights"Isakov2:39
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Astronaut"Isakov2:09
2."California Open Back" 1:20
3."The Universe"Ron Scott4:16
4."Suitcase Full of Sparks"Isakov, J. Wagner, Ron Scott3:56
5."Honey, It's Alright"Isakov3:11
6."All Shades of Blue"Isakov, Ron Scott, additional words by Annie Stein3:33
7."She Always Takes It Black"Isakov2:50
Total length:41:35

Personnel

  • Gregory Alan Isakov – vocals, guitars, banjo, piano, organ, keyboards, drums, ukulele, pedal steel
  • Jamie Mefford – drums, god noises, background vocals
  • Phil Baker – cello, background vocals
  • Jeb Bows – violin, viola, mandolin, background vocals
  • James Han – piano, organ
  • Bonnie May Paine – saw, washboard, background vocals
  • Nathaniel Rateliff – background vocals
  • Julie Davis – background vocals
  • Natalie Tate – background vocals
  • Reed Foehl – background vocals
  • John Grigsby – upright bass, electric bass
  • Wil Schlatmann – accordion
  • Reyn Ouwehand – mellotron, timpani, piano
Production
  • Gregory Alan Isakov, Jamie Mefford – executive production
  • Gregory Alan Isakov, Jamie Mefford, Reyn Ouwehand (on "Second Chances") – engineering
  • David Glasser – mastering

References

  1. ^ "Gregory Alan Isakov Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Holland, Simon (October 17, 2014). "Album Reviews, Featured Albums of the Month: Gregory Alan Isakov – The Weatherman". www.folkradio.co.uk. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  3. ^ Ferris, Jeff (July 11, 2013). "Gregory Alan Isakov album review, The Weatherman". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 9, 2023.