Album Review: Weathervanes - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Country is likely the most divisive genre in all of music. While legends like Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton are widely regarded as some of the greatest musicians of all time, many of today’s most popular country artists make headlines for the contrarian and conservative ideologies that constitute their overly simplistic songwriting. While many of the genre’s tropes are predictable and made for the masses, country music’s conventions and aesthetics can also enable artists to engage in incredible storytelling. A historian and adoring fan of the roots of his genre, Jason Isbell’s poetry and hard-hitting lyricism have elevated his music above the noise since he joined the scene. He has described each of his albums as a snapshot in time that captures his current mindset, and the maturity of both his sound and character have been evident with every release. Weathervanes is no different — on Isbell’s newest record, he offers some of the most intricately orchestrated and carefully crafted tracks of his entire career. His masterful storytelling, instrumental choices, and thematic cohesiveness makes this one of the most exciting albums of the year so far.

Each of this album’s lead singles are tasteful examples of all of the flavors it has to offer. “Death Wish” gnashes and grapples with the devastating reality of navigating a relationship with an addict. “Middle of the Morning”, born from the pandemic, explores the existential dread of cabin fever that lockdowns forced on us all. “Save the World” directly confronts the tragedy of school shootings, which unfortunately has to directly affect the way Isbell parents his daughter. “Cast Iron Skillet” creatively and expertly uses common Southern idioms to highlight the backward, brainwashing ideologies that Isbell was taught justify the injustices he saw in the world. Highlights from the project in and of themselves, Weathervanes’ lead singles are complemented by the rest of the album’s tracklisting.

As previously stated, Weathervanes is made up of some of Isbell’s biggest songwriting accomplishments to date. “King of Oklahoma” is a heartbroken and sprawling violin-backed ballad describing the shattered remnants of a failed relationship. “If You Insist” is a tragic track that features the most show-stopping lyrics from the entire album: “My momma spent every day alone / In a house of noise and names / She got so tired putting out fires / She just laid down in the flames.” That line is so effective and chilling that it still gives me goosebumps every time. “White Beretta” narratively recalls Isbell’s experience with navigating an unplanned pregnancy with a previous partner — one of the project’s most understated yet poignant and important political statements. “Miles” is an epic, 7-minute long journey that morphs and evolves over its long runtime, serving as a perfect closer for this album. While not every track here hits its mark, a vast majority are very strong and others are some of the best in Isbell’s discography.

The unclear direction of tracks like “When We Were Close” and “This Ain’t It" left me wanting more from ideals that didn’t feel fully fleshed out, but these shortcomings were more than made up for by the rest of this fantastic project. Jason Isbell’s perspective is a unique and important one in country music — his Americana roots and poetic lyricism are better than any in his field, and Weathervanes may just be his best album yet.

Favorite tracks: “Death Wish”, “King of Oklahoma”, “Strawberry Woman”, “Save the World”, “If You Insist”, “Cast Iron Skillet”, “Volunteer”, “Vestavia Hills” “White Beretta”, “Miles”

SCORE: 8/10

Album Review: Reunions - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

My taste in music has changed fairly significantly over the years. Unlike how I used to listen almost exclusively to hip-hop and rap music, I now try to branch out and listen to other genres. I’ve found that folk, Americana, and blues are more substantive and emotionally provoking than a majority of the popular rap which dominates the charts. Put simply, my taste is as balanced now as it has ever been. One of the main artists that has caused this transition in my musical preferences is Jason Isbell and his accompanying band the 400 Unit. I was introduced to Isbell through his 2017 release The Nashville Sound, which paired crushing sentimentality with relevant and topical political statements. I have also gone back and listened to most of Isbell’s discography, holding Southeastern as the standard to beat for all future projects of his. After almost three years, Isbell and the 400 Unit are back with their newest album Reunions, which did not disappoint.

The lead single for Reunions, “Be Afraid”, alarmed some longtime Isbell fans. This track is a departure from Jason’s typical homegrown and heartfelt sound which so many have come to love. Instead, this folk-rock track relies on its production more than it does its lyrical content. That isn’t to say that it is a bad track by any means, but many hoped that the rest of the album’s songs were a return to form for Isbell. They certainly were. The next singles to release, “What’ve I Done To Help”, “Only Children”, and “Dreamsicle”, featured the brilliant storytelling which is expected in Jason Isbell’s music. These tracks brought tears to my eyes with cutting sentimentality, arrangement, and delivery. I knew I was in for a treat with this project.

Come the time of its release, I had tissues nearby and candles lit to enjoy the experience for whatever it was going to be. Some of the new tracks were especially emotional first listens, but there was a healthy balance of energy which didn’t make this too somber of a listen, increasing its replayability for me. The magnetic guitar lick on “Overseas”, the poetic lyrics featured on “River”, and the playful but poignant reflection found on “It Gets Easier” are Isbell at his best. The project ends with the touching “Letting You Go”, a demonstration of Isbell’s love and commitment to his daughter, which will likely be played at every wedding for decades to come. Most of the tracks on this projects have held up through many, many listens for me.

Most of them have. There are some issues I have with this project, but I’d generally describe this album as great. That being said, “What’ve I Done To Help” seems unnecessarily long, “Running With Our Eyes Closed” is a love song which is unfortunately forgettable for me, and the tone of this album fluctuates wildly from track to track. These are the only problems I have with an otherwise addictive, nostalgic, and wonderful project.

I found the New York Times’ story about Isbell and his amazingly talented singer-songwriter wife Amanda Shires very interesting. It seems that this album was difficult for the couple to create, but had I not known that beforehand, nothing in the album would’ve indicated any sort of struggle between the two. I sincerely hope that they have settled any disagreements which may have arisen when making this project, and it seems that is the case after their Brooklyn Bowl Nashville MusiCares relief performance of the album. I highly recommend checking out Reunions. Thanks for reading.

Favorite tracks: “Dreamsicle”, “Only Children”, “Overseas”, “River”, “Letting You Go”

SCORE: 7/10