I recently learned of Jason Isbell. I’ve been rather oblivious to the modern music scene for quite a while now and had not heard of this incredible artist and band. My attention is mostly given to audiobooks and podcasts. When I do listen to music, I either have some groove jazz going, like Snarky Puppy and Everything Yes, or default to classic rock favorites.
I worked as a weekend shift DJ at a country music radio station (WWKI in Kokomo, IN) in the early 90s while I was stationed at Grissom AFB and gained an appreciation for several artists coming onto the scene around that time like Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, Hal Ketchum, and Alan Jackson. But I wouldn’t claim to have become a fan of country music by any stretch.
I heard someone recommend checking out Jason Isbell’s NPR Tiny Desk concert a couple months ago. I found it on YouTube and added it to my Watch Later playlist, but the thumbnail made it pretty obvious that Jason was just another country singer. The video sat there for weeks. Until about three weeks ago. Then, I finally understood the claims about his songwriting greatness. His music, interviews, and even the Max documentary, have been playing continuously at home and in the car, it’s even getting some airtime at work.
People not yet familiar with him ask what kind of music he performs. He is classified as an Americana genre artist, which is a very country leaning rock blend. I would compare him to both Garth Brooks and Tom Petty. But a darker version. Like Batman dark. Very flawed and vulnerable, but his greatness draws from his humanity and shortcomings. The stories he tells of those experiences are compelling and beautiful.