Southeastern – Jason Isbell
As I’ve already noted, I don’t own any Jason Isbell albums, but thanks to my Spotify subscription, I have listened to a number of them over the last few years. I can safely say that
Southeastern is his best. It’s got that gritty singer-songwriter vibe that any fan of Springsteen, Mellencamp or Steve Earle can appreciate, and whilst it tackles some weighty subjects, it still manages to find a nice balance between the sombre tales and the more upbeat material.
Although “Travelling Alone” treads the familiar territory of somebody feeling worn down by living life without a partner, the sparse acoustic guitar sweetened by the violin is a beautiful sound. The fact that the violin is played by Isbell’s wife, Amanda Shires, makes it all the more poignant. In fact, Shires’ violin also pops on “Stockholm” and whilst it’s just two tracks, she contributes significantly to the sound of the album.
“Elephant”, which deals with a woman dying of cancer, is the kind of song that any serious artist would be happy to craft once in a career. Not just because of the subject matter, but again the combination of the lonesome music and the way it’s sung – it’s such a beautiful song.
I also enjoyed “Live Oak”, Isbell’s take on a murder ballad. The music is simple, but his words are arresting, and the combination is superb. The storytelling is top-notch on a number of tracks, including on “Yvette”, where the protagonist appears to be preparing to take a child abuser out with a rifle.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Jason Isbell shows he has a knack for hooky choruses on both “Flying Over Water” and “Songs That She Sang In The Shower.” In “Super 8”, when he tells how he got into a fight and “they slapped me back to life And they telephoned my wife”, it’s reminiscent of Steve Earle’s “The Week of Living Dangerously” and that’s not bad company to keep.
This album is one of a number produced by Dave Cobb in recent years, and it’s obvious why he’s so in demand because he always gets the most out of his artists, presenting their music in the best possible light. For the record, other Cobb albums I’ve enjoyed include
Great Western Valkyrie (2014) and
Feral Roots (2019) by Rival Sons,
Things That Can’t Be Undone by Corb Lund (2015),
Sleeping Through The War by All Them Witches (2017),
Between The Country by Ian Noe (2019) and
Renegade by Dylan Leblanc (2019).
The Wikipedia page for
Southeastern states that producer Cobb encouraged Isbell to record the vocals for this album in one take, and it probably suits an album that presents such personal and uncomfortable tales. Cobb’s brilliant production puts Jason Isbell’s voice and acoustic guitar front and centre for most tracks but allows for the tasteful backing provided by Amanda Shires’ violin and other musicians as necessary.
I read in an insightful review that
Southeastern is Isbell’s
Tunnel of Love or
Blood On The Tracks except with a happy ending. He finished the album around the time he married Amanda Shires, and added to the fact that she contributes to the superb music attests to the fact that it is a much happier affair than those two classic divorce albums.
Although I’d already heard this album several times before, thanks to
@Mancitydoogle for “forcing” me to listen to it again, which I’ve done a few times over the last couple of days. I really loved this album and I’m delighted to give
Southeastern 9/10.
