Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit Announce New Album “Weathervanes”
The alpha male of Americana Jason Isbell has announced his latest album to be released via his own Southeastern Records distributed by Thirty Tigers, and in anticipation the album has already swept the Americana Awards and been bestowed three Grammys, even though it won’t be released until June 9th.
Called Weathervanes, the album immediately becomes one of the most anticipated releases in independent music for 2023 from Isbell’s track record of being one of the landmark songwriters of our time. It is especially anticipated among sports journalists and Twitter users who love to misappropriate Jason Isbell as country.
Joining Jason Isbell on the new album will be his backing band The 400 Unit that includes Sadler Vaden on guitar, Jimbo Hart on bass, drummer Chad Gamble, and Derry deBorja on keyboards, further confusing Spotify users who don’t know to search for Isbell’s music with the 400 Unit band name, and think the Alabama native hasn’t released an album since 2015’s Something More Than Free.
Wife Amanda Shires also appears on the new album via fiddle and backing vocals, with other guests including harmonica player Mickey Raphael, Sylvia Massey and Ian Rickard also on backing vocals, and strings on a song by Morgan O’Shaughnessey. Isbell and Shires were also recently named the 2023 ambassadors for Record Store Day on April 22nd.
Further verifying the unusual kismet that the sports commentary world has with Jason Isbell, ESPN personality Wright Thompson fawningly and majestically describes the new album in a teaser video as:
“[Jason Isbell’s] latest collection of grown-up songs: songs about adult love, about change, about the danger of nostalgia and the interrogation of myths, about cruelty and regret and redemption. Life and death songs, played for and by grown-ass people. Some will make you cry alone in your car, and others will make you sing along with thousands of strangers in a big summer pavilion or majestic old theater, united in the great miracle of being alive.”
Jason added via a press release on Tuesday (2-21), “There is something about boundaries on this record. As you mature, you still attempt to keep the ability to love somebody fully and completely while you’re growing into an adult and learning how to love yourself.” And as we all know, Jason Isbell definitely loves himself.
One shake up on the new album is that Jason Isbell will no longer be relying on the services of Dave Cobb as producer. Having produced every Jason Isbell album since 2013’s Southeastern when Cobb stepped in for Ryan Adams, Weathervanes was produced by Jason Isbell himself. Ahead of the album, Isbell has released the propulsive rock song “Death Wish” (listen below).
Weathervanes is now available for pre-order.
Weathervanes Track List:
1. Death Wish
2. King Of Oklahoma
3. Strawberry Woman
4. Middle Of The Morning
5. Save The World
6. If You Insist
7. Cast Iron Skillet
8. When We Were Close
9. Volunteer
10. Vestavia Hills
11. White Beretta
12. This Ain’t It
13. Miles
February 22, 2023 @ 10:14 am
Over/under on how long the comments section trainwrecks into partisan shouting?
February 22, 2023 @ 10:58 am
too late
February 23, 2023 @ 12:39 am
I am non-partisan and 100% independent. I’m not active on social media but have seen just enough to be completely disgusted by Isbell’s Tweets. Nonetheless, Southeastern is one of my top favorite albums of all time. Hope this album is good.
February 22, 2023 @ 10:18 am
Damn this article comes off very bitter with all the subtle shots. Jason Isbell has brought some weird behavior out of you Trigger 😂.
February 22, 2023 @ 10:28 am
I’m really looking forward to the album and have no bitterness toward Jason Isbell or anyone else. I just felt like the excessive fawning over an album announcement that I’ve seen for this deserved a little counterbalance with humor.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:48 am
Where was the humor?
February 22, 2023 @ 2:21 pm
I was laughing through the most of the article. Pretty good. I barely made it through 10 seconds of Death Wish, but I’ve never been an Isbell fan. I tried back when he was more universally liked, but his stuff never clicked with me.
February 24, 2023 @ 7:23 pm
I had to check the date through the first bit, I thought I had somehow forgotten it was April 1.
I’ll give it a chance, I really hope it’s songs about love, loss, humanity, et al. I can connect with his music that centers on that. I’m tired of the politics, I don’t care what flavor—if it’s more of that it’ll never find it’s way to a second listen.
February 22, 2023 @ 2:31 pm
I liked death wish, albeit I hope that’s not the best song on the album. I was pretty disappointed with Childers overall last album when the first couple releases were leaning towards it being great. Jason deserves a few blows as he has been an ass more than once these last few years. Everyone makes mistakes though. For instance he was one to stand up for that gutter slime Morgan Wallen (to a degree) and say we shouldn’t tar and feather him for a screw up. All in all, he’s a magnificent writer, and I hope there are less unnecessarily divisive songs on this album like “be afraid.” I loved reunions but that was a sore thumb and then some.
February 22, 2023 @ 7:52 pm
I totally agree! I may be mistaken, but didn’t Isbell say that he (paraphrasing here) wishes he let someone else cut “Cover Me Up”? Isbell’s writing has always been in a higher tier to me but he does seem to overdo some topics, in an artistic manner or political. Certainly excited to see new music from him but I can’t say I’ll be listening the hour it drops.
February 22, 2023 @ 2:36 pm
I thought this article was satire. Very confused. Too many jokes to keep track of what was real and not.
I get that Isbell has been a little divisive in the last few years, and his Twitter is a lot. But the Trump years turned a lot of us crazy (both ways). I think we should mostly let it be.
Looking forward to his new music. “Reunions”, “Southeastern”, “Something More Than Free” are outstanding albums.
February 23, 2023 @ 2:29 am
The entire read I was thinking, “is this the Onion”? It’s one of the snarkiest things I’ve ever read – but not on a funny way.
February 23, 2023 @ 10:24 am
Other folks said they found it hilarious. I don’t know what to tell you. The simple fact is that no matter how I wrote this article, the comments were going to train wreck, because that is the kind of environment Jason Isbell has sowed around his music. In fact, it might have train wrecked worse if I have served the information dry. If you don’t believe me, go look at some of the comments on social media surrounding the coverage of some other outlets. So I attempted to use a bit of levity to hopefully diffuse some of the acrimony. I actually think it was more successful than not. The true insult to Jason Isbell would have been to not cover the news at all.
February 24, 2023 @ 8:10 am
Idk Trig. You cannot control the comments. Other people going overboard isn’t a hallpass for you to do the same.
I’d have no issue for with an article like this after an Isbell tweet or something else. But an album release story should be treated with more respect. Light humor fine, but the snarkiness was unnecessary.
I know you wear all hats at this site, but it’s best to keep the NewRoom & the OpEd/Humor sides separate. This struck me as something I’d read in the comments and frankly beneath all great work done here. Just my $0.02.
February 25, 2023 @ 3:53 pm
If you exhibit anything short of effusive praise about Jason, you’re going to make a lot of people all butthurt, Trig.
April 28, 2023 @ 8:18 am
Anyone who has ever read one of your articles or tweets that mention Isbell knows you are insanely jealous and have an unexplained snark in everything you write that mentions him. Perhaps he failed to acknowledge at some event or perhaps you’re so much a partisan that you can only like people who agree with you. I don’t know. Whatever your beef is, it gets in the way of what you’re supposedly trying to do with this website. Isbell, for better or worse, is the best songwriter of this generation and is a top notch guitarists–perhaps an all-time great. Isbell, along with other “Americana” acts like the Avett Brothers have done more to bring about a resurgence in country music than anything Nashville or you have done.
February 22, 2023 @ 10:29 am
Subtle? 😂
February 22, 2023 @ 10:34 am
Yeah, the potshot about an addict for writing a record about learning how to love yourself so that you can fully love other people is an…interesting choice.
February 22, 2023 @ 10:27 am
Really looking forward to it! I don’t necessarily agree with Jason on some topics, also because the are foreign to me since I’m from Europe. Hopefully, the comments don’t turn sour fast…
Always excited for new music by the man, the first song sounds promising! You can clearly hear this isn’t produced by Cobb, at least in my opinion.
also, judging from the trailer.. Is Jason smoking again?
February 22, 2023 @ 10:29 am
Never hear Isbell referred to as an “alpha male” of anything
February 22, 2023 @ 10:33 am
Jason Isbell is definitely the top male artist in Americana. A couple of years ago, I would say he was the top artist in Americana, period. But I think Brandi Carlile has probably surpassed him at this point in sales, streams, and as a concert draw. We’ll see if this new album can put him back on top.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:25 am
“King” would have been a better word choice
February 22, 2023 @ 11:49 am
“Alpha male” lol
Trigger, you would have been a great troll.
February 22, 2023 @ 10:31 am
Really, we could have done without the snarky comments. Your problem with Isbell isn’t his ego and this won’t help. You have a bad tendency to start flame wars slagging multiple people and get shocked when you get return fire. Sometimes you make some good points but live by the sword etc.
What did you expect?
February 22, 2023 @ 10:43 am
Oh lighten up. I’m not starting a flame war here. If you’re not allowed to criticize an artist or use a little humor to present information as opposed to the same overfawning boilerplate content every other outlet has released about this album announcement, all the more reason to push back. Jason Isbell has no clothes. AHH! I look forward to the album and hope it’s a good one.
February 22, 2023 @ 12:41 pm
I didn’t say you were. I didn’t even mention your criticism of him. Where I have seen you really get slagged on that end is when you start fights with other people, he likes over hot button issues you apparently have some disagreement with.
February 22, 2023 @ 2:25 pm
It’s okay Trigger has a habit at times at playing dictim
February 24, 2023 @ 8:14 am
“A little humor”? The entire article reads as satire. There are entire paragraphs of fake quotes.
I love SCM, and always admired Trig’s ability to be rational when it comes to very divisive issues. This was just so odd to read.
February 24, 2023 @ 9:19 am
There are no “fake quotes” in this story. The only quote used in this story is completely real. That was the whole point of this article. The teaser video by ESPN’s Wright Thompson for this album and the corresponding media coverage of this announcement has been so overwrought and over-the-top, it demands scrutiny and sarcasm. It’s arguably unethical NOT to come in and offer just a little bit of counterbalance. There is perhaps nobody who has published more positive coverage of Jason Isbell over the years than myself. But at some point, the media lost all objectivity and credibility here, and Jason Isbell has taken advantage of that. That is how he was able to get away with saying he wrote the first gay country song and other ludicrous and hypocritical statements.
That is why so many folks—including ones you see in this very comments section—see him as such an overhyped hypocrite and freak out at the mere mention of his name, because nobody is allowed to say anything sideways about this guy, and if you do, it’s your credibility that is going to be called into question. We’ve reached Beyonce-level ludicrousness here, where even though Beyonce has won more Grammys than anyone else ever, the idea is she was “snubbed” this year because she didn’t win Album of the Year.
These performers are not Gods, despite what the video from a sports commentator portrays. You are not allowed to criticize or even make some silly jokes about Jason Isbell. It is taken as blasphemy. And that is exactly why I did it. Because screw that. I’ll say whatever the hell I want. And the fact that some Jason Isbell fans can’t even take some lame jokes proves the hypothesis this article was written behind.
February 24, 2023 @ 9:23 pm
Gotcha. Thanks for the reply.
The story was just very confusing to read. I truly thought the quote was satire. And I still think it would’ve been best to simply announce that Isbell is releasing a new album.
Maybe the joke went over my head. Or maybe best not to mix satire with real news? Hard to blame anyone for not being able to tell what’s real & not from the article.
Again, love SCM and the work you do Trig. But this was just so weird / confusing / unnecessary.
February 25, 2023 @ 3:54 pm
I guess this means the album hasn’t really won those Grammy and Americana awards.
February 22, 2023 @ 10:39 am
Death Wish is absolute fire – really bringing a lot of that Burn.Flicker.Die energy.
Also, taking potshots at a recovering addict for writing an album about needing to learn to fully love yourself in order to wholly love another person is…a choice.
February 22, 2023 @ 10:57 am
Being a recovering addict isn’t an excuse for being a douche and Trigger is right to call him out on it amongst the slobbering deification by the media in general.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:43 am
Dude, nobody is attacking Jason Isbell’s sobriety. Jason Isbell spends all day lobbing grenades at folks on Twitter. He’s famous for it. He’s uses humor and sarcasm to undercut people all of the time. Multiple articles have been written about it. We should be able to use a little bit of humor to present the boilerplate information about his upcoming album.
February 22, 2023 @ 7:13 pm
My thing is…spending all day lobbing grenades on Twitter (or any other interwebs arena) isn’t actually a sign of “loving yourself,” haha.
It’s a sign of being incredibly stressed and looking for an outlet to externalize your anger/pain/whatever, rather than actually dealing with your issues in a healthy and constructive way.
Signed: Someone who picks fights about bullshit online when I’m stressed, or angry, or hurt.
February 22, 2023 @ 7:21 pm
I’d also take the “I’m just joshing!” deflection more seriously if your review of Reunions didn’t open with 6 paragraphs kvetching about Isbell being mean online, followed by a great 7 paragraph review, followed by 3 more paragraphs of kvetching about Isbell being mean online.
For the life of me, I don’t understand why some writers can’t just put politics aside, and stick to the music!
February 22, 2023 @ 10:40 am
Trigger, you have a few dense readers, as seen above. Great to see your sense of humor.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:13 am
Death wish is a fucking banger. So stoked for this album.
If this album rips, it will be similar to another album by a guy whose first name starts with J
February 22, 2023 @ 11:20 am
dammit i replied to a random comment by mistake
February 22, 2023 @ 4:42 pm
Give us a bigger hint please.
February 22, 2023 @ 2:22 pm
What part of it was humorous?
February 22, 2023 @ 4:23 pm
All of it.
February 22, 2023 @ 10:44 am
Alpha Male? This dude is right behind Boy George in the Alpha Male category.
February 22, 2023 @ 10:44 am
I agree Isbell isn’t country, but he has written and recorded some of the best blue-collared anthems of our time (better than most of his country ((conservative)) counterparts, lately) – “Something More Than Free,” “God is a Working Man,” “Last of My Kind.” I just wish I could stay awake at his concerts.
Maybe because college football is my second love to country music, I don’t mind the “unusual kismet” of music and the sports commentary world. When Christian McCaffrey jumps on stage to play piano at a Zach Bryan concert, Cody Jinks takes batting practice while touring MLB cities, or a St. Louis Cardinal player uses a Turnpike Troubadours song for his walkup music, it welcomes this kind of marriage (one that can only help the genre).
As for the song, I don’t care for it after two listens. I keep waiting for it to do something, but it stuck in neutral. Hopefully, there will be better songs on the album.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:02 am
Agreed. The sound never goes anywhere.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:47 am
I think the kismet between sports commentators and independent country/Americana artists is cool, and have written articles about this in the past. But it is kind of unusual, and I have to say, Wright Thompson’s commentary was just a bit over-the-top here. It felt very superfan-ish as opposed to authoritative.
February 22, 2023 @ 7:22 pm
I prefer Les Bowen’s unabashed love of Isbell, because he’s a cranky old codger from Philly.
February 22, 2023 @ 10:47 am
I don’t get the instinct to dilute excitement about an artist you like because other people like him? Like it genuinely confuses me. Jason Isbell makes good music. You think this! But yet you gotta make sure you criticize other people for liking him too? Idk it’s one of your ongoing things that’s annoying and I say that as someone who visits this site daily and enjoys the site a lot.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:55 am
I’m not criticizing anyone for liking Jason Isbell. Not sure where you picked up on that. And despite my willingness to criticize Isbell for some of his hypocrisy, there is perhaps no other outlet that has praised Jason Isbell more in published articles than Saving Country Music. One of the reasons I’m sometimes hard on him is because he is so beloved and important as an artist, and I want him to understand that his words matter. I’m looking forward to this album myself, so I’m not trying to undercut anyone else’s anticipation.
February 22, 2023 @ 12:04 pm
I have to second this. I understand what Trig was trying to go for but the jokes miss and it comes off as juvenile overall.
Trig I hope you take this feedback from the several comments I’ve seen about this as constructive, as it is intended, not as partisan sniping. We all come here because we love this website and your journalism.
February 22, 2023 @ 2:02 pm
Well if the jokes were duds, I’ll take that criticism. But there is definitely a prevailing sentiment that is strengthening in Americana that some artists are above reproach, or apparently, we can’t even be humorous about them. And I’ve always taken it as my job to burn sacred cows whenever presented, and often use humor specifically to do that. The more unpopular this tact is, perhaps the more requisite it is someone engage in it.
February 22, 2023 @ 4:23 pm
Trig, it was funny and on point. All the folks here complaining reinforce the whole article. Great job my man.
February 23, 2023 @ 5:35 am
Dilute excitement? How can you let others dictate to you how you’re supposed to feel about something? That’s pretty weak and pathetic.
February 22, 2023 @ 10:57 am
Not sure how anyone can be upset about any of Jason Isbell’s music hes one of the best songwriters out there right now and in the best tradition of songwriters he takes subjects that are close to him and writes about it which is surely why we listen to him in the first place. If I wanted music that was safe and didnt challenge me at all Id listen too the top 40.
February 22, 2023 @ 2:27 pm
The single posted in the article sounds super Top 40 to me. His music has always sounded Top 40/adult contemporary/light rock to me, which is why I never liked him. I get his lyrics may be a little more gritty in places, but his instrumentation is super bland.
February 22, 2023 @ 10:59 am
Alpha Male of Americana ?? WTF, How about Ray Wylie Hubbard ? Isbell’s melancholy whining sounds terrible.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:08 am
Ha ha! Well done! Isbell is my favorite artist and I’m obviously really looking forward to this, but I thought your commentary was hilarious! By the way, am I the only one that thinks Drayton Farley’s “Norfolk Blues” sounds just like Isbell?
I use Apple Music and in my library they have Jason Isbell, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. If I try to start a playlist around one of his songs, I get all 3 “bands” to start followed by DBT.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:17 am
I too enjoyed Trigger’s little digs knowing full well he has gone on record many times praising Isbell’s skills. Without that context I could see how one may appreciate the humor. Yes! My thoughts exactly on Norfolk Blues! The similarity in his voice and music is uncanny. I’m a blind taste test 99 percent of participants guessed it was Jason. Well I only tried it on one friend but he was shocked it wasn’t. Hoping to catch Drayton live at a festival this summer so I can confirm he is Jason’s musical doppelgänger.
March 23, 2023 @ 11:25 am
Well, it’s actually Drayton Farley and the 400 Unit. Look it up the album credits and you’ll see.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:53 am
That was ny first thought when I heard Norfolk Blues – that song could have come straight off Something More Than Free. Which, to be clear, is one of the highest compliments I could give to any music.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:58 am
The new Drayton Farley record is produced by Sadler Vaden, so that would make some sense. I got those same vibes off of some of Morgan Wade’s work, which was also Sadler Vaden produced.
February 22, 2023 @ 7:57 pm
“Norfolk Blues” is a great song. Which means it is not similar to Isbell.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:11 am
Sour Grapes
February 22, 2023 @ 11:15 am
I don’t know how the definition of Americana got so twisted around the axel. Just so we are all clear, Jason Isbell plays southern rock. Probably the defining artist of Americana would be Doug Sahm. Americana is a term used to describe omnivorous consumers/producers of all types of American roots music. It’s pretty fucking simple and has been in use since the late 90’s and all of this covered extensively in magazines like American Songwriter and No Depression. As for this I will crawl over broken glass to hear Mickey Raphael play (aside from his inexplicable turn on the latest acoustic Staind record).
February 22, 2023 @ 11:24 am
Coincidental you bring this topic up as I just saw Cody Canada last night and during the show he said he tells people he’s an Americana artist, of which his definition is “country music that doesn’t suck.” So unfortunately the term has been high jacked a bit even by the artists themselves to avoid being thrown into the Trashville steaming pile of crap.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:26 am
Not picking a fight. I politely say to you, you are the first person I have ever heard classify Jason Isbell as Southern Rock. When I think of contemporary Southern Rock, I think of Them Dirty Roses, The Steel Woods, Whiskey Meyers, Larkin Poe, Blackberry Smoke… I don’t even know if I’d consider early DBT albums as Southern Rock anymore now there is a genre for them … which is Americana.
Isbell even embraces the Americana label and I never heard him push back like Tyler Childers did against the genre and say, “no, no, no … I’m southern rock.”
February 22, 2023 @ 1:13 pm
Lots of early DBT is straight up southern rock
March 23, 2023 @ 2:04 pm
“Super 8” is basically a rewrite of “Gimme Three Steps”
February 22, 2023 @ 3:04 pm
In the Drive By Truckers documentary “Secret to a Happy Ending,” Jason is describing all the unique things about the band, and why it would never work on paper. He says they are a “southern-oriented rock band, but not really a southern rock band.” That always struck me as pretty dead-on descriptive of DBT.
February 23, 2023 @ 6:38 am
That’s a great description.
I re-visited Gangstabilly and Pizza Deliverance last night. Those are punk rock albums made by a band from a southern college town. Almost not that different than early REM albums (another Athens, GA band).
Later stuff is very similar to Tom Petty (ironically the first time I saw DBT in concert they opened for Petty). I don’t consider Petty southern rock, although his stuff with Mudcrutch could be southern rock.
February 23, 2023 @ 7:01 am
That’s a great documentary. I rewatched it recently.
I think both Patterson and Cooley have said that Neil Young & Crazy Horse was also a major influence.
I have always thought of them as a band influenced by southern rock, but not a straight up southern rock band. Blackberry Smoke? Now that’s a southern rock band.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:37 am
The simple test is this… who does Isbell tour with? I googled “Jason Isbell opening acts.” Here is what came back for his 2021 Ryman residency:
Mickey Guyton
Brittney Spencer
Amythyst Kiah
Allison Russell
That’s about as Americana as it gets.
For his 2023 tour, his opening act is Influential West African duo Peter One.
He doesn’t tour with Southern Rock bands. He tours with and headlines festivals with Americana acts, because he’s an Americana artist.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:37 am
Ian,
The term you’re looking for is “alt-country,” not Americana. Alt-country is what No Depression (named after the Uncle Tupelo album) and American Songwriter built their foundations on. And yes, Doug Sahm was an early pioneer of it. Americana is a much more contemporary term. As for Southern rock, I would agree with Hoptowntiger that Jason Isbell is not that, though he might have some elements of Southern Rock in his music. With the strong focus on songwriting with a sound that blends rock, country, and Southern rock/alt-country, this is what makes Jason Isbell distinctly Americana.
A few months back I posted an article trying to deleniate the various terms, though I will say, there is a lot of grey area in between.
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/compendium-of-country-music-definitions-subgenres-terms-eras/
February 22, 2023 @ 1:19 pm
I know all about Alt-Country, I grew up reading No Depression consuming a huge variety of music. Americana, as I have mentioned previously is a term so closely related to Michael Bloomfield’s “American music band” term that there is almost no difference. Feel free to be wrong, but Doug Sahm, Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal have been doing Americana the whole time. These others are whatever, who gives a fuck. I don’t listen to them.
February 22, 2023 @ 4:28 pm
Ian,
The No Depression folks absolutely classify ol’ Isbell as Americana. I’m with Trig, the term alt-country used to be the one used in the 90s by everyone. Americana came into the common vernacular in the early oughts. Now what I do agree with you on, is the ever-changing nature of the term, it never quits evolving and as time goes on, its become a catch-all for every genre they want to include in it. Blues, R&B, soul, bluegrass, string bands, singer-songwriter, folk, etc. Maybe they should just say American Music.
February 23, 2023 @ 2:04 pm
I have a Tex Ritter 78 on the Capitol Americana label. Apparently, in the late 1940’s , Capitol used the term “Americana” for their C&W records. Shame they didn’t trademark it.
February 27, 2023 @ 4:22 pm
Americana and Alt-Country are basically the same thing. Americana just seems to have a larger umbrella of influences.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:23 am
I am looking forward to this album. I’ve always enjoyed his past music. Isbell’s political views do not deter me from his music, despite his personality being exemplary of a self righteous ass-clow.
But ‘Jason Isbell’ and ‘Alpha Male’ shouldn’t be used in the same paragraph.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:44 am
Who knew that the most controversial part of this article would be that I referred to Jason Isbell as an alpha male 😀
He IS the alpha-male of Americana, btw.
February 22, 2023 @ 12:08 pm
a “contextual” alpha male if that.
And my comment reinforces the fact that this article is not controversial.
February 22, 2023 @ 1:23 pm
I think they are confusing alpha-male for alpa-dog like in the popular vampire/ werewolf movies. Isbell is not a werewolf, but he is the alpha-male in his genre.
February 22, 2023 @ 3:36 pm
The title of alpha is super important to a certain segment of the population (trying not to get too political but I’m sure everyone knows who I’m talking about), which is beyond hilarious to me.
February 22, 2023 @ 11:29 am
Straight up left wing whiny pussy rock, not much more to say.
February 23, 2023 @ 7:08 am
gd1 gutterman
February 24, 2023 @ 7:08 am
Rowww Tide, gtr. Damn str8 pussy rock
February 22, 2023 @ 12:44 pm
Intrested to hear what Amanda’s husband has laid down
February 22, 2023 @ 12:53 pm
Hahaha, love it a lot.
Probably more than the record. I used to be a major fan but he started losing me a few albums back. Same with DBTs
Which is a pity because Jason is a hell of a guitarist and can make a great sound. Maybe it will be good.
February 22, 2023 @ 12:57 pm
This is some shitty ass writing and I’m talking sentence construction, general language use, etc. Can’t believe people read stuff written this poorly.
February 22, 2023 @ 1:03 pm
June 9, eh, I’m busy.
February 22, 2023 @ 2:13 pm
The warblings of a once-fat nerd lashing out at those who used to stuff him in lockers. They can’t hurt you anymore Jason and you don’t have to go back to Alabama anymore if you don’t want to.
February 22, 2023 @ 4:45 pm
I Stan for RD (no homo). Dude needs to comment way more often.
February 22, 2023 @ 8:00 pm
He is a stereotypical scalawag.
February 22, 2023 @ 2:37 pm
Seeing as there is another person on here with the name Brian, going forward, I’ll add something to differentiate myself.
As far as Jason Isbell is concerned, I can’t seem to find a song that I can enjoy. But he may release one someday I’ll take a liking to.
February 22, 2023 @ 2:41 pm
Not sure what’s funnier, the snarky comments or the whiny complaints about them.
The guy is talented but his songwriting has been on the decline since Southeastern. This song doesn’t do anything to reverse that trend.
February 22, 2023 @ 3:34 pm
Alpha male? Dude couldn’t even handle a little liquor.
February 22, 2023 @ 4:04 pm
There are a lot of people who can’t handle a little liquor, and some that have ended up dead because of it, including some incredibly creative people that the world would be less cool without, and IS less cool because they left too early.
February 23, 2023 @ 7:14 am
he’s still got custody of his kids tho.
February 24, 2023 @ 2:19 pm
So do a lot of incapable people. The government rarely gets anything right.
February 22, 2023 @ 3:51 pm
Jason will absolutely be offended by the word “alpha” when describing him.
I imagine a tour bus filled with soy milk and tofu
I no longer purchase his albums prior to listening to them
GREAT JOB TRIGG
February 22, 2023 @ 4:00 pm
His best stuff was with DBT, it had an edge. I’m not a fan of this vanilla dad rock. I’m sure it will sell though.
February 22, 2023 @ 4:51 pm
It’s unfortunate Isbell hasn’t been cancelled yet. He needs to be held accountable.
February 22, 2023 @ 5:16 pm
Truly do not understand the point of view in this article, but it’s always delightful to hear from the butthurt tough guys in the comments section whenever the artist comes up.
February 22, 2023 @ 5:27 pm
Jason (he/him, presumably) would take offense at the “alpha male” characterization.
I met this dude after his 3rd DBT show in Bham, November 2001.
His virtue signaling has become so insufferable, I’m not even clicking on the YouTubes.
February 22, 2023 @ 6:13 pm
I quit purchasing his albums after Southeastern, and in my opinion, my life has been better.
February 24, 2023 @ 7:41 am
I thought “Something More Than Free” was better, but he lost me with they whiny “”The Nashville Sound.”
February 22, 2023 @ 6:39 pm
The man that has Amanda Shires on his arm is definitely the alpha-male in my book.
February 22, 2023 @ 7:17 pm
Beta of you to say!
February 22, 2023 @ 7:55 pm
They are not inviting you for a threesome, Philip.
February 22, 2023 @ 8:25 pm
Isbell is an insufferable prick (hi Jason, I know you lurk in the comments–go fuck yourself), but Southeastern, Something More Than Free and The Nashville Sound contain some great songs. His songwriting seemed to decline the more woke he gets. I found his last album to be his weakest. I do like the new track, though. I’ll stream the new album when it comes out, but I won’t buy it.
I see Isbell and his Unit will be paying an hour from me soon. At one time I would have driven 4 hours to see him, but now I woulldn’t walk across the street to see him. I laughed when I heard tickets were going for between $70-$220. The most I ever paid to see an artist was around $160, and that was Bob Seger’s Farewell tour.
For those beating up Trigger, get a sense of humor. This article was funny.
For those crying about people picking on a guy who has gotten sober, blah, blah, blah. Isbell is dry, there’s a big difference. The anger and hate he carries is unhealthy. I encourage him to get help (seriously Jason, get help, bro).
February 22, 2023 @ 8:51 pm
That is steep for ticket prices. I saw him at the Ryman (lower balcony) and I think I paid 40$ for the ticket back in 2018
February 23, 2023 @ 6:22 am
I just grabbed tix for The Paramount on Long Island and prices ranged from 95 for standing floor up to 160 for the “best” seats along the side balconies. I paid 105 all in for the rear balcony seats. Slightly more than some less than others at this venue. Reasonable prices for an artist at his level. I think I paid 80 a piece earlier this year for his acoustic show at the same venue.
February 23, 2023 @ 7:38 am
…and been bestowed three Grammys, even though it won’t be released until June 9th.
I know that’s supposed to be sarcasm, but it doesn’t work so well when you consider that his last album didn’t even get so much as a Grammy nomination, nor did any song on it get a nomination. Fair enough, as it was a bit of a fall off from his previous three. Now, his previous two albums won the album of the year Grammy, but those two were also SCM AOTY nominees. And as I recall, you said they could very easily have been included in your best albums of the decade list. He has also won two song of the year Grammys, but once one of them (If We Were Vampires) was also a SCM SOTY nominee. The other was 24 Frames, which I think is a worthy song. So, except for not so much as nomination Southeastern for Americana AOTY, I can’t think you have many complaints about how the Grammys have treated Isbell.
February 23, 2023 @ 10:16 am
It has been a running joke of the Milk Carton Kids over the last half dozen Americana Music Awards to say that Jason Isbell wins everything. In fact I think the joke in 2022 was that Jason Isbell was going to win all the awards, and he wasn’t even nominated for any of them because he hadn’t done much in a while. Then folks pointed out he was still nominated for Artist of the Year. Adding the Grammy component was just to be hyperbolic to (hopefully) signal the sarcasm that was clearly being wrought here.
February 23, 2023 @ 5:34 pm
Since the Americana Music Awards don’t televise the smaller awards, it kinda flew under the radar that he won Best Rap Duo or Group, and Female Newcomer of the Year
I think the article had just the right amount of snark, as befitting a loudmouth of Isbell’s stature. i lose nothing by never listening to him again and he loses nothing from that arrangement as i would allegedly pirate his music rather than pay a plugged nickel for his music.
i will take great personal joy when it comes out he is cheating on that violin playing 16 year old he is married to, with Mickey Guyton
February 23, 2023 @ 9:29 am
“Reunions” was just okay for me, so hopefully this is a return to form. Then again, the peak of Southeastern/SMTF/Nashville Sound was so great he can probably never get there again. “Death Wish” is decent. Until Turnpike announces an album (what is going on there?) or Colter Wall does something, this is the most anticipated album for me this year.
February 23, 2023 @ 9:04 pm
I don’t know why anyone is calling this article satire. The statements in that teaser are beyond parody. “Reducing the universe to 4 minutes”…really?? 😂. The quote trig pulled out isn’t even the most absurd one in there. I had real high expectations based on that teaser hyping it up and then Deathwish sounded like Isbell doing a bad cover of the killers doing a bad cover of the boss. I loved southeastern, and I am not biased against this guy due to his political activism. I ignore it, regardless of which side an artist is on, because I don’t give a damn what they think and most of them are miles removed from the person I’d look to for a deep political discussion. However, this “teaser” is absolute cringe and absurd and the first song I’ve heard doesn’t inspire confidence. I’ll reserve further judgement until I can hear the whole album.
February 24, 2023 @ 4:39 am
i realize taste is subjective But Jason Isbell is….,its just a bit too soy and saccharine , i don’t get how it appeals to anyone other than maybe Ed Sheeran and Dave Matthews types
February 24, 2023 @ 3:47 pm
The Dave Matthews comparison I can soooorta see, but Ed Sheeran? I admit that I miss the raucousness of Isbell’s work with the Drive-By Truckers, but he’s never put out anything as soft and poppy as Ed Sheeran.
February 24, 2023 @ 7:35 am
Boy howdy, let me tell ya, when all my rowdy gender-nonconforming friends come over after a long hard day of airing grievances to slam back some soy lattes and check privilege, we crank “White Man’s World” to 11 and let loose.
February 24, 2023 @ 8:33 am
I wonder what a SCM review of his/their last album would look like. I only downloaded the Cat Power cover when it was released, but I recently downloaded the rest of the album since he released this new single. I don’t have very high expectations. I suppose it is just a covers album, though.
February 24, 2023 @ 9:04 am
With so many original albums coming out these days, reviewing a covers album is just not going to be a priority unless there’s just something especially compelling about it.
February 24, 2023 @ 9:19 am
Totally understandable and I agree.
But I’ve been curious for a while now. With so many country artists through the years/decades singing and performing songs they didn’t write, and putting them on their albums, where is the line between country covers album, and a straight up album from an artist with zero songs written by that artist on that album?
February 25, 2023 @ 1:04 am
Dammit Trigg…I love this article. But I have to call you out on something: there is no way in hell you didn’t know that this snark was gonna send the more hardcore Isbell fans flying out of their cruelty-free faux leather recliners screaming obscenities overtop of their 24/7 live stream of MSNBC. You knew what you were doing.
For clarity, I think Jason Isbell is an ego with two legs and a Bob Dylan complex, but I also can’t quit listening to his music despite how many times his personality makes me roll my eyes. The man just makes killer music.
February 25, 2023 @ 7:50 am
Oh trust me, I know that no matter what I do, if I mention Jason Isbell’s name, it’s headed to 100 comments with people screaming back and forth. I could post an article where the entirety of the content is just his name “Jason Isbell,” and folks would spin out of control. That is why posting some dry recitation of a press release seemed futile. Might as well try and do something to lighten the room.
February 25, 2023 @ 11:28 am
I’m not on twitter and don’t know what goes on there and even I knew this article was in jest. All I got from it is that Jason Isbell has a new album coming out and I can’t wait to hear it.
February 28, 2023 @ 10:21 am
Wow — Looks like a large sample of the commentariat here got lost on their way to truthsocial. Funny to see so many snowflakes upset about mean tweets.
Anyway, “Death Wish” is promising — Definitely excited about anything new from Jason. Looking forward to the new album!
February 28, 2023 @ 10:30 am
Jason’s a dry drunk which explains some of his behavior online. If rumors about Amanda’s extracurriculars around Nashville are true, that probably explains the rest.
I’m generally a left-leaning fella, but he does the cause more harm than good. A certain faction of NPR-listening types love that self-righteous style because they think and talk and act the same way and it ends up in a feedback loop where the people online that praise him just fuels his schtick even more.
Musically I thought “Hope the High Road” was a killer piece of political songwriting, though Jason would be wise to take his own advice and not fight with people “down in the ditch” which is all Twitter really is. The rest of that album is where he starts to lose himself in his own hype. I listened to Reunions once and it left zero impression on me, as did “Death Wish”…his neutered version of “Driver 8” also didn’t do him many favors.
May 4, 2023 @ 12:23 pm
Way late to the party, but here’s my 2 cents:
I was a big Isbell fan from his time in the Truckers, but’s its waned over the years.
I have no problem paying to see him if he comes close to me (he doesn’t usually), just as long as he keeps his Twitter BS on Twitter…
I’d like to see an up-tempo effort on Weathervanes, just not sure I’ll get it. “Death Wish” is just meh to me…Its like a car that starts, but the driver leaves it in Park. “Southeastern” is my favorite release, followed closely by “The Nashville Sound”. “Reunions” was a pretty big disappointment to me, there isn’t a single song on that record that is in my playlist. When I first heard “Be Afraid”, I thought the mix sounded bad because of my car speakers, when i got home and listened to it again, I knew there was nothing wrong with my speakers. I have hopes for this new release, but I’m not holding my breath.
May 4, 2023 @ 1:01 pm
Deathwish has grown on me. It’s the lyrics and impassioned vocals mainly. I think Cast Iron Skillet and Middle of the Morning are killer songs. And so I do have high hopes for this album. I agree that Reunions was underwhelming.
I too have been hoping for a more musically adventurous effort from him. But I remember reading a quote from him that his DBT songs are ones that he wrote for that band and that’s why they’re more rocking than his solo songs. It seems that he isn’t all that interested in writing rockers like that now. I think he’s just trying to write the best pure songs he can. Like his model is more John Prine and less DBT or Crazy Horse.
I saw him once a year from 2013 to 2018. The more albums he put out, the less DBT songs he would play in concert and so the concerts would be a little less fun for me. Sure, he’d rock out on a cover or two, but those weren’t songs I connected with him. And I do love the vast majority of his solo work. But more DBT songs made for a more exhilirating concert.