When a member leaves a band, most fans question the strength of the band to fill the void remained. But when singer-songwriter Jason Isbell left Drive-By Truckers, the doubt augmented more.

Isbell’s stamina outstripped the other fellows of DBT. He was younger and talent certainly was a feature of his. Their break-up was amiable; his contribution to key-songs like “Outfit”, “Decoration Day”, and “Danko/Manuel” promised that his solo career will be anything but a flop. His solo debut was delayed, but his first release, “Sirens of the Ditch” cleared all doubts and questions.

There remained wonders about Drive-By Truckers, though. However, their latest launch “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark “ is an remarkable work that washes away doubts and draws wows. It is a 19-track album that tackles diverse themes and in no moment will anyone miss Isbell. You might speculate on the fact that the 75-minute is a way to make amends for their loss. Maybe, or maybe it’s a means to prove that they are able to do amazing work without him.

We may not discover what determined Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley to approach this album in this manner. But we can be certain that this manner combines both quantity and quality, bearing the fingerprint of experience and talent.

“Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” may have not Isbell, but it has touching “Two Daughters And A Beautiful Wife,” or “The Home Front” and “That Man I Shot.” The latter two deal with the war in Iraq and present two different perspectives upon the theme, that will convince every fan that DBT is a mature, grown-up band that lacks nothing. And no one.