I was excited to hear this album. I was a big fan of Jason’s work with the Drive-by-truckers and I enjoyed his first solo album. The songs on the new album are stronger than those on his previous album but they still leave you wanting just a little bit more. I hate to say it but I think what is missing is Patterson Hood and the rest of the old gang.

One of the strongest songs on the album is the mournful “Sunstroke” with the power of it lying in the play between the soft acoustic guitar and the lullaby like piano. He is a good story teller and can really set the mood. With lyrics like “Here it is morning for some folks, twilight for those of us left” he puts that ability on display.

Another song in which his ability to tell a good story is evident is “Cigarettes and Wine” a rather depressing lament about love and the stains it leaves on our souls. He Sings “She lives down inside of me still, rolled up like a twenty dollar bill. She left me alone with these pills and the last of my youth.” Really what more needs to be said. When a lyric can smack you square in the mouth like that you know you’ll still feel it in the morning.

If you like songs that make you think about your own past then you will find “Streetlights” to your liking. The characters in the song are just like people you and I know and it does it good job of highlighting the awkwardness which hides inside the comfort of what your life used to be. I would say a song like that deserves more than a few listens.

Jason and The 400 Unit saved their best for last. The last song on the album oddly enough titled “The Last Song I’ll Ever Write” is the perfect culmination of the material on this album. With great lyrics and excellent musicianship it sort of brings together all the potential and finally realizes the vision of what could be. It’s moody and yet not droning. It is dark without being dirty.

I can’t say that this album is a great one but it is worth some of your time. The problem is that it doesn’t do enough to make people forget about his old band, but it does validate him as an artist and a creative force. I think Jason Isbell is just coming into his own and finding his voice and this album assures us of that.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

For more info go to: www.jasonisbell.com