Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: Reunions
The room was quiet with anticipation in Nashville, Tennessee’s Bluebird Café on January 4, 2019. Jason Isbell had just instructed everyone to put their phones down so he could play a song he’d only previously played for his wife and bandmate, Amanda Shires. Sitting in the center of the historic room was Isbell, Shires, Isbell’s childhood friend and acclaimed Music Row songwriter, Chris Tompkins, and Josh Ritter, whose album Isbell had recently produced. Though I didn’t know it at the time, this would be my introduction to Reunions, Jason Isbell’s seventh studio album. “This used to be a ghost town, but even the ghosts got out.”
Instant chills.
It seems like a lifetime ago fans could pack themselves into a small room to see live music. Perhaps that’s why the first spin of Reunions brought what can only be described as a feeling of relief. I’ll be honest. I was just happy to hear his voice again. I expect many of you will feel the same. You see, I have the unique privilege of being one of the admins of 12,000+ Jason Isbell fans on social media, and this is the first album release I’ve gotten to experience.
Photo By Melissa Payne
Well after The Nashville Sound was released, I stumbled upon a Rolling Stone article that prompted me to look up Jason Isbell on YouTube. The article referred to Jason as an alt-country singer, and mentioned a song called “White Man’s World.” Prepared to be angry or at minimum annoyed, I had to see what the song was about. My musical preference was nowhere near alt-country, whatever that means. The first song that showed up was “If We Were Vampires,” which honestly sounded just as confusing as a country-related song title. Let’s just say, I wasn’t ready.
I immediately searched for tour information, and discovered Jason Isbell would be playing five shows at the Ryman Auditorium, a short drive from south-central Kentucky. The only problem was all five shows were sold out. As fate would have it, a sixth show was added, and I was able to score a ticket. I haven’t missed a Ryman show since, including those other five. Many of you have shared your Isbell experiences with me. Many of you will say Jason Isbell changed your life; I am no exception. His music is often my escape, my comfort and my wake-up call, and seeing Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit live has become an integral part of my life. Just before the world shut down, I saw my 50th Jason Isbell show since October 9, 2017.
Basically, I’m no music critic. I’m a fan. So if you’re looking for a technical write-up, you won’t find it here.
It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit’s self-titled album is my personal favorite, but I can say after a week of absorbing Reunions, this is Jason Isbell’s best work.
Photo By Melissa Payne
The opening track, “What’ve I Done To Help,” featuring David Crosby, sets the tone for the album, and immediately transports you back to a time, well, when music was good. The album feels instantly familiar, like I’ve been listening to it for years. Instinctively I wanted to compare it to classics from Dire Straits, Eagles and Tom Petty, because it took me back to riding in the car with my dad, listening to the radio. He would’ve loved this album, and that makes me feel even more attached. I keep reading articles that mention Jason confronting his ghosts on this album, but maybe his intention is for us to confront ours. I can’t listen to this song without imagining my dad grooving to the bassline in the driver’s seat. My dad would’ve been a Jimbo Hart and Chad Gamble fan, and I find comfort in believing that.
The nostalgia continues with “Dreamsicle.” The imagery in this song makes me wish the MTV that played music videos was still a thing. This one needs a video; that orange and brown floral couch that everyone had would definitely be in it. Taking a bleak look at divorce through the eyes of a teenager with standout lines like “new sneakers on the high school court/and you swore you’d be there,” this is the song on the album I feel the most connected to. While I wasn’t a teenager when my own parents divorced, the feelings conveyed in the song are universal to the experience. Again, he puts into words the way we feel about something that we thought was indescribable.
Isbell has a unique way of telling a devastating story in a way that makes you feel comforted; there’s no happy ending, but you’re not alone. This is also true for the track “Only Children.” These two songs may prove to be Isbell’s best writing, and with his catalog I realize that’s a bold statement. Only a few weeks ago we were seeing Isbell Top 30 lists that were all over the place, a testament to his writing, but I would find it difficult to believe many new ones would exist without “Dreamsicle” and “Only Children.”
Fans have been seeing “Overseas” played live for more than a year now, and the studio track is exactly what I was expecting. Those guitar solos deserve open air. Derry DeBorja made magic on the keys. This is your “roll the windows down and turn the volume up” track. I don’t know if hearing this song debut in January 2019 is any indication that it’s the song that has lived the longest on the album, but it feels like it has evolved into perfection. We see a lot of evolution from the studio to live music. The best example of this is “Last Of My Kind” from Isbell’s sixth studio album, The Nashville Sound. The live version of the song has grown into a remarkable mix of solos, highlighting band members Amanda Shires and Sadler Vaden, far from the still amazing studio track. “Overseas” seems to have reached its evolution before the studio, and it’s musically perfect.
The song that stopped me in my tracks is “St. Peter’s Autograph.” This song is based on the heartache Amanda Shires felt after losing her friend, Neal Casal. The lyrics show empathy like I’ve never heard. “What do I do to let you know/I’m not haunted by his ghost/Let him dance around our room/Let him smell of your perfume,” indicates the loss of a former romantic partner. It’s beautiful and dark, one of those lyrics that leaves you wondering how he sings it out loud without having to hold back tears. I find holding back tears impossible while listening.
My favorite track on the album, “It Gets Easier,” may be my 2020 anthem. While it highlights Isbell’s struggle with recovery, hope is the message. This is the song I want to hear live most of all. It’s one that will make you want to get out of your seat and move, in the same way I felt about “Cumberland Gap” from The Nashville Sound. Isbell has always been vocal about addiction, and this song delivers hope in an honest, real way. “I had one glass of wine/I woke up feeling fine/And that’s how I knew it was a dream.” Sobriety is a common theme among Isbell fans, and many have shared their stories with me. I know it will resonate with them the most, but I also love how he addresses the question he never gets asked directly, “How do you stay sober when your partner does not?” If you’ve been in the comment section of any tweet or YouTube live, particularly 'I So Lounging,' a sanity-saving 30-day livestream hosted by Amanda Shires during quarantine in April, you’ve seen the comments over and over. It’s perfect Isbell to address it in a song, “You can’t expect her to follow your lead/She’s fine with her wine and her weed.”
Do we have a new father/daughter wedding dance song? The answer is yes. “Letting You Go” is a beautiful look into the future of his daughter, Mercy. What a beautiful song that both recognizes the bond between a daddy and his little girl, and a man that recognizes that she’s capable without him. The part that means the most to me is that the father admires the daughter in the song; he is in awe of her and wants her future partner to be in awe of her too. It’s a beautiful mix of “giving her away,” while still empowering her.
This collection of songs feels like it is meant for this time, like we needed this now.
When Jason announced a new studio album in March 2019, we had no idea what was in store; we didn’t know there was a global pandemic on the horizon. The excitement for the new album grew when tour dates were announced. We frantically fought for the good seats, made travel plans, decided to meet other fans for the first time. Now, we are left wondering if we will ever hear these songs in person, and we know when we return to live shows, everyone won’t be there. The hardest part about the release of this album is knowing how much fans like Ron Louie and Daniel Coffey would have appreciated it. We lost both of these superfans to Covid-19, and they will be so missed. Ron saw the live premiere of “Letting You Go” and he could hardly wait for the song to be over to let me know how amazing it was. We’ve been hit with such a loss, but the fan community is strong, and even though we’re the most opinionated, we’re still there for each other.
Reunions is aptly named. I can’t wait for ours.
In the meantime, leave a comment below and let me know what you think of the album. I’ll randomly choose one of you to receive the indie creamsicle vinyl, including one signed Red Eye print.
