By Paul T. Mueller
Jason Isbell had quite a challenge in following up his excellent 2013 album, Southeastern, which was a thing of rare power and beauty. Fortunately, he was up to the task. His latest, Something More Than Free, is an excellent collection in its own right. Isbell has a good eye for revealing details, and a gift for weaving them into songs that touch on themes both personal and universal.
It would have been tough to match the visceral impact of Southeastern’s “Cover Me Up” or “Elephant,” but there’s still plenty here that’s strong enough to impress on first listen and nuanced enough to reward further examination.
Things get off to a bouncy start with “If It Takes a Lifetime,” featuring an infectious violin riff courtesy of Amanda Shires, Isbell’s wife and collaborator. Isbell’s songwriting skill is much in evidence in the narrative of a man who’s learned from his mistakes, and has come to understand that happiness is a journey, not a destination. He pursues that theme further in “24 Frames,” which considers the idea that everything good can disappear in a second – the time it takes a movie camera to shoot 24 frames.
So it goes for the album’s other nine songs. More highlights:
- “Flagship,” a sweet love song in which the narrator sees a couple “sitting there a thousand miles apart” and pleads, “Baby, let’s not ever get that way.”
- “The Life You Chose,” which asks a tough question: “Are you living the life you chose? Are you living the life that chose you?”
- The title track, a meditation on the value of work in which the narrator concludes, “I’m doing what I’m on this earth to do.” Clearly the same can be said of Isbell himself.
- “Speed Trap Town,” a rueful observation of small-town life in the vein of Steve Earle or James McMurtry.
- “Palmetto Rose,” a guitar-fueled look at the good and bad of life in a South Carolina city, from the point of view of a cab driver who’s familiar with both.
Isbell is backed by the members of his fine band, The 400 Unit: Sadler Vaden on guitars, Jimbo Hart on bass, Chad Gamble on drums, Derry Deborja on keyboards, and Shires. Producer Dave Cobb also helps out on percussion and acoustic guitar.
Something More Than Free is holding down the No. 1 spot on three Billboard album charts – country, rock and folk. That’s quite an achievement, and a testament to Jason Isbell’s ability to translate human experience into appealing music.