Favorite Album Friday #1

In an attempt to write more about one of my favorite things in life, and to stimulate my lazy ass to do more with this blog, I'm starting a new feature called "Favorite Album Friday," or #faf if you're so inclined. In this space I'll be writing about some of my all-time favorite albums, and the albums that are currently bending my ear. Who knows, maybe it will become a thing. And yes, it does seem weird to talk about "albums" in the age of digital music. But that's a conversation for another time.

For my inaugural #faf post, I've chosen the album Southeastern by "alt country" singer/songwriter Jason Isbell, which came highly recommended to me by a former colleague (and for that I can't be thankful enough). Originally a member of the band Drive-By Truckers, Isbell has been putting out solo records since 2007. Southeastern is his fourth solo effort, and though I've not yet heard his previous albums, I can't imagine how they could be better than this one.

I've long had a tendency to associate albums with seasons, a habit that's generally based on when I first immersed myself in the music. But some music just lends itself to certain seasons, beyond the simplicity of winter=dark music and summer=happy music. REM's Reckoning, which I first heard in the summer of my 13th year, always reminds me of that summer and how I felt when I first heard it. But there's also a lushness to the sound of that album, particularly Peter Buck's guitar, that reminds me of the warmth of a summer in full bloom. Southeastern, to me, is a winter album. It has moments of darkness, both musically and lyrically, with songs driven by despair, loneliness, and regrets. But it also has moments of light.

One of the great tricks of the "confessional" singer/songwriter is in being able to craft incredibly personal songs that draw from the artist's experience, yet have a universal appeal. When done well, it's a revelation. When done poorly, it's comical. Southeastern would be a great album on those merits alone. But the craft is elevated when singer/songwriters use their own experiences to become and inhabit other characters. Isbell does just that on Southeastern, creating a cast of characters clearly drawn from his life and acting as the narrator to their (and his own) tales of despair and failed dreams. In the end you almost feel as if you've caught a glimpse into the lives of a small community somewhere in the southeastern U.S, perhaps in northern Alabama, where Isbell grew up. 

Southeastern is a beautiful, sad, and yet somehow hopeful album. Part of that comes from the warmth of Isbell's voice and delivery, which conveys the hope of someone who's seen hard times and made it through to the other side. It reflects his own battle with addiction and his experience with sobriety. As hard as life can be, he seems to be saying, it's still worth living. In a collection of songs about cancer, suicide, addiction, and abusive relationships, Isbell comes up with lines like "god bless the busted boat that brings us back" and "you should know compared with people on a global scale, our kind has had it relatively easy." That kind of attitude keeps the album from being a complete downer.

So while it might not exactly happy happy funtime music, Southeastern is well worth a close listen, even in the light of summer. 

Here's a taste to get you started: