Hopefully someday we will be able to discuss Jason Isbell's music without referring to his time in the Drive-By Truckers. Today is not that day. Here We Rest is Isbell's 3rd solo album since leaving the seminal southern rock group and it's another great slab of soulish southern county rock. With support from his crack backing band, The 400 Unit, Isbell explores the world of people down on their luck and struggling to get by but infuses everything with beautifully simple melodies that relay a strong sense of hope. From the opening acoustic beauty of "Alabama Pines" to the old school country of the closing "Tour of Duty," Here We Rest plays around in a bunch of different styles that all form a seamless album. "Go It Alone" is the closest thing to hard rock presented here while "Never Cloud Believe" rolls along on a honky tonk barroom beat. "Heart on a String" is full of soul and has a great funky rhythm. In a album full of great songs it takes a lot to stand out but that's exactly what happens with "Codeine." It's fiddle based country is guaranteed to get stuck in your head for days and you'll be all the happier for it. With every solo album he releases it becomes more and more obvious that Isbell made the right choice when he went solo. Here We Rest is his best work yet and every bit the equal of his former band. I promise they won't get mentioned next time around, he's earned that right.
Rating: 4.5
Track Listing:
1. "Alabama Pines" (3:49)
2. "Go It Alone" (4:28)
3. "We've Met" (3:08)
4. "Codeine" (5:37)
5. "Stopping By" (4:10)
6. "Daisy Mae" (2:54)
7. "The Ballad of Nobeard" (0:27)
8. "Never Could Believe" (4:06)
9. "Heart on a String" (3:49)
10. "Save it for Sunday" (3:50)
11. "Tour of Duty" (3:26)
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