Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Here We Rest
Album Review: Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Here We Rest
04.03.11
by Jim Dedman
When Johnny Cash, or even Hank Williams III, offer cautionary tales through their music, listeners believe them because they know that those two musicians have experienced the perilous heartache afforded by life. Unfortunately, Here We Rest, the new album by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, is bereft of that type of authority and offers a mostly bland serving of what has come to be known as alt-country.
Isbell’s third album since leaving The Drive By Truckers in 2007 – and his second with his backing group – The 400 Unit, offers just under 40 minutes of inoffensive music which, though not unpleasant, remains mostly forgettable. Wikipedia presently describes Isbell as a perpetrator of “rock,” “progressive country,” and “alternative country,” and his latest effort suffers from a schizophrenia of sorts: it doesn’t quite know which of those genres it aspires to be. Is it alt-country, or is it that to which alt-country is an alternative? Is it a bluesy brand of Southern rock, or is it a type of light acoustic-based pop? The answer: It depends on the track.
“Alabama Pines,” the album’s first track, sounds more like overproduced Nashville country than true alt-country. “Save It For Sunday,” the penultimate track, seems like something the producers of Grey’s Anatomy might wish to acquire for the soundtrack of a melodramatic montage sequence. Isbell’s attempts at a Southern style blues rock guitar sound – an effort which permeates many of the tracks – falls mostly flat. Like much of the recent output of Eric Clapton, the would be blues solos are muted and mostly devoid of any meaningful emotional undercurrent. (Tom Petty got that sound right on his most recent album, last year’s Mojo.). Further, without an aged or whiskey soaked voice, Isbell’s crooning sounds more like Jack Johnson than anyone playing alt or outlaw country.
Sure, alt-country musicians can craft simple, unadorned elegies and ballads. But Isbell isn’t Will Oldham, or even Ryan Adams. Thus, his attempts to produce something slow and ethereal fail, as Isbell is simply a lesser songwriter than those two icons of the genre.
Really, the entirety of the album suggests that Isbell and his band are restraining themselves from recording something more authentic and dirty with greater emotive impact. This is not to say that the album does not have its moments. “Daisy Mae” has a simple acoustic elegance with a tinge of melancholy, and “Codeine” is upbeat, catchy, and suggestive of greater potential. “Go It Alone” conjures up the better parts of The Arc Angels (or even Golden Earring) and might properly be characterized as rock proper. The band seems have the most fun playing on “Never Could Believe” – a track which illustrates that the band could accomplish something greater if they just let loose a bit more.
Isbell and his band clearly have the technical skills and proficiency to go beyond what is offered on Here We Rest. What’s most astonishing, though, is that there is already evidence of Isbell’s talent elsewhere: his live performances. In concert, Isbell and company wield an energy which is nowhere apparent on this record, a mystifying discrepancy indeed. In sum, the music is hardly provocative, and it’s doubtful anyone will recall this album with fondness in the coming years. Someone should write a wistful song about that.
Editor’s Note: Jim Dedman is a contributor to DeadJournalist.com and is also a writer and lawyer living in Greenville, SC. You can follow him on Twitter @jdedman4.
