Man, these guys must feel like shit every morning. That thought kept running through my head as I watched Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit down whiskey shots passed up to the stage by generous audience members at the Turf Club in St. Paul, Minnesota. With plenty of drinking, loud guitars and rowdy singalongs, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit are like the ultimate fun bar band. And that’s exactly what I considered Isbell and his band to be after seeing them for the first time a few years ago. The first time I saw Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, some of the band’s new, original material was a bit uneven, and the highlights of the show were classic covers of the Talking Heads and Van Morrison. This time, Isbell and his band retained that classic bar band feel, covering The Meters and Neil Young, but the covers were overshadowed by the brilliant new material from Isbell’s newest album, Here We Rest.
Here We Rest is Isbell’s third solo album since leaving the Drive By Truckers, and represents him finding his voice as a songwriter. While with the Drive By Truckers Isbell was the George Harrison of the group, writing the occasional brilliant song, but generally overshadowed by the song writing of Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley. There are some great songs on his first two solo albums, but overall the material is inconsistent and the albums sound a bit rushed, as if the band recorded them before they had really gelled together. But now, after three albums together and several years of hard touring, the band has really peaked with Here We Rest and their current tour.
Drummer Chad Gamble is new to the group, but he seemed to fit right in, as he and bassist Jimbo Hart served as a thumping rhythm section that shined on the soul classic “Heart on a String.” Lead guitarist Browan Lollar threatened to steal the show, taking most of the leads and trading fiery solos with Isbell on “Try,” “Goddamn Lonely Love” and “Like A Hurricane.” After a wah pedal infused barrage of psychedelic notes from Lollar in “Try,” the band launched into a furious jam of Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter,” proving that they can rock out as hard as anybody. As the band continued to put away whiskey, the songs became a little looser and more stretched out, allowing Lollar and Isbell plenty of room to show off their fast fingers. Here We Rest is a much more rootsy, acoustic-driven album than Isbell’s previous efforts, but their live performance at the Turf Club left no doubt that they are a damn good live rock and roll band.
Yet as fun as their rocking live shows are, the band’s real strength lies in the powerful songwriting of Jason Isbell. Though Isbell’s live shows are full of smiles and fun, his lyrics are often not. Instead his songs are tales are full of vivid characters and dark themes with imagery that paints pictures in the listener’s head. Whether singing about the dangers and temptations of living as a touring musician, the experiences of American soldiers, drug addiction, or love gone wrong, Jason Isbell has an ability craft troubled characters that the listener can relate to. Despite the sad nature of many of Isbell’s songs, Isbell’s live shows are uplifting and hopeful, as the audience passionately sings along and fist pumps with nearly every word. During his time with the Drive By Truckers, Isbell established himself as a talented if overshadowed songwriter. But now, four years after leaving the Drive By Truckers, Jason Isbell has emerged as the next in line a grand tradition of southern songwriters, backed by a rocking band that’s just beginning to discover its live potential.
