Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit - The Nashville Sound

The Nashville Sound is the sixth studio album by American singer songwriter Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit, released in June 2017 via Southeastern Records.

Ever since his astonishing debut with the Drive-By Truckers in the early 2000s, Jason Isbell has been someone to watch. Here was a kid from a tiny town in Alabama who could sing, play guitar and (most thrillingly of all) write songs with a wisdom, wit and swagger rarely seen even in the crowded Americana field. Isbell arrived fully formed, and his best work with the Truckers ranks among the best work that great band has ever released.

When he went solo half a decade later, he had lost much of this early fire. Struggling with alcoholism and a mean streak, wading through the morass of a failing marriage, he released a few spotty solo records before finding his voice again with 2011's Here We Rest. Since then, sober and re-married, the one-time whiz kid has solidified his place as Americana's veteran master. His last two records, 2013's emotional, confessional Southeastern, and 2015’s Something More Than Free, were an out and out triumph. 

The Nashville Sound was recorded in the city’s legendary Studio A with his backing band The 400 Unit sharing equal billing on this album, which includes his wife Amanda Shires on fiddle. The album has that Nashville sound, being clear with note perfect simplicity.

The songs go beyond the standard country fantasy fare, fretting about the state of US politics with “White Man’s World” and reliving a painful breakup on “Chaos and Clothes”. On “Anxiety” he bemoans that he is not capable of enjoying anything, with a heavy rocking backing.

This is an album where he and the band find a sweet spot between country and rock, and shows that he is growing as an independent artist in his own right. He is one of the most engaging artists working in the roots music space, and this album is well worth a spin.

The album debuted at #4 on the US Billboard 200 Albums chart, becoming his highest charting album to date. The album also peaked at #1 on the US Folk, Country, Independent and Rock Albums charts. It has also reached #30 in Australia and #26 on the UK Albums charts.

The album also earned Isbell his first CMA Award nomination, being nominated for Album of the Year at the 2017 ceremony.

Check out the tracks:  “Hope The High Road”; “Cumberland Gap”; “If We Were Vampires” and “White Man’s World”.

This LP record is on 180 gram vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve with inner sleeve and digital download, pressed in the US.