I was fortunate enough to see Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit the other week—and believe me, every time you get the chance to, you should.
During the concert, I ended up chatting with a fella and he said something that seemed to sum up the magic of the man better than anything else.
“He has an ability,” he said, “to transport you into a new world in his first line better than anyone.” Listening to this—the set has a similarity to the gig I saw, but as ever with Isbell, it’s not the same—it struck me again and again.
As I write this, “King of Oklahoma” has just started. First lines: “We’ll take the copper from the work site, meet me here at midnight/They ain’t got a camera or a guard/Write my own prescription if I can’t get a fix, son/Shit’s about to get real hard.”
It’s one of a clutch of songs he plays from the wonderful “Weathervanes”—and believe me when I say the solo at the end of it is worth buying the album for alone, oh, and it isn’t even the best on the record.
The show starts with “Save the World,” and it’s a signpost into the world it inhabits. It’s just wonderful. Pure and simple.
There’s something fragile about “Only Children” as it looks back, and there’s something desolate about “Overseas.” How he expresses this with just his guitar is quite astonishing, and to return to the first lines thing, I give you: “Used to be a ghost town, but even the ghosts got out” here.
The acoustic-tinged “Dreamsicle” leaves town, while “Running With Our Eyes Closed” changes the vibe yet again. The depth of this material is second to none.
“Middle of the Morning” sounds conflicted, and typical of Isbell, there are some surprises. “The Last Song I Will Write” is dusted off to great effect, and “River” is debuted. It’s wonderful. Maybe more country than usual, but Springsteen himself would be proud.
That one could have conceivably been part of the acoustic arrangement which had begun with “Strawberry Woman”—and proves that you can play a great song in any format. That said, of course, “Cast Iron Skillet,” which has quickly become a real favourite lends itself to that testament. Indeed, the power of the words really comes through in this format.
Some of the more involved ones come to the fore here. “Miles” is chief amongst them, and “When We Were Close” would be the best song in just about any set. His lament to a lost friend—and we all know who it is, and the controversy it’s caused—is achingly beautiful, as is his cover of Tom Petty’s “Room at the Top.”
The set finishes—as mine had (and I am gutted he didn’t play “…Close” that night)—with “This Ain’t It” in all its extended glory.
It underlines a couple of things. First, how good a record “Weathervanes” is, and second, it points to the fact that Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit might well be the best band of its type in the world.
“Well, baby, how’d you end up here?” He questions on the first line (yes, that again!). And for once, the answer is obvious: the reason you play one of the most iconic venues in music fifty times is simple. You’re exceptional.
Rating 10/10
