Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Here We Rest

A strong sense of place infuses Here We Rest (April 12, Lightning Rod), the third album from former Drive By Trucker Jason Isbell and second with The 400 Unit. After 200+ shows in 2009 in support of his self-titled debut with the band, Isbell found more time to spend at home in northern Alabama, hanging with friends at the local bar and hearing of the struggles that are associated with real hometown life: economic pain, men shipped off to combat in the Middle East, the breakup of a marriage -- issues beyond the confines of a tour bus. Isbell, who has won acclaim for his perceptive lyrical imagery of Southern life, found putting down roots in a particular place gave him an even greater insight into his personal songwriting. "I tried more than ever to get out from behind my own eyes and see things through others' eyes," he says.

Instrumentally, Here We Rest shows off the tight connection Isbell and his band have forged over the past few years, a feeling of intuitive precision but with the ability to keep things loose and spontaneous. It is also proudly very much an album deep fried in the traditions of southern music, where blues, soul and country permeate the fabric of folk and rock. From the fiddle-inflected easy-going pace and sing-along chorus of "Codeine" to the brisk country step of "Tour of Duty to the jangling folk strum and rich organ fills at the heart of "Alabama Pines", Here We Rest is a testament to Isbell's intelligent, honest and soulful songcraft and the continued emergence of The 400 Unit as a band to be reckoned with.

Artist Site  Facebook

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - "Codeine" (from the album Here We Rest)