Jason Isbell is currently on the sort of hot streak that
would be the envy of a sports team anywhere in the world, akin to the
domineering days of his beloved Braves. His song writing, album making and
performing skills are firmly planted on a plateau, peering down into the
distance of the chasing pack. All these attributes are in stark evidence when
he takes to the stage, and shows like what we witnessed in Birmingham this
evening veer very much towards defining where this artist stands in 2017. This was
a gilt-edged artisan on top of his game and a supporting cast in the 400 Unit
matching him each note, chord and interlude.Of course, it has not been all plain sailing for Jason, but adversity and genius often go hand in hand. In addition, contrasting views are held on the differences between polished perfection and good old dirty rock ‘n’ roll. Although it has been a while since Jason dabbled in the latter, you feel that it will be always be part of his DNA, and the sidestep from the plush surroundings of the Symphony Hall to your grittier institutions is a mere small movement of intent. However, with a new record regally titled THE NASHVILLE SOUND and on the back of six sold out shows at the Ryman Auditorium, he is perfectly at home in the sort of environment that greeted him this evening.
The new album took centre stage in a set list that has revolved
around an extensive core during this latest run of UK dates. This stretched
back to Jason’s formative years as a member of the Southern alt-rock band Drive
By Truckers. Many long term fans could make a compelling case for ‘Decoration Day’ and ‘Never Gonna Change’ being the outstanding moments; the former
displaying its imperious anthem qualities, while the latter forming the ideal scintillating
closer complete with ultra-rock style guitar duals. Whenever the services of
the 400 Unit are called upon to either record or perform with Jason Isbell,
they know instinctively what to do to project each song at its best. Having
returned to the title credits for the latest album, the quartet of Sadler Vader
(lead guitar), Jimbo Hart (bass guitar), Chad Gamble (drums) and Derry deBorja
(keyboards) brought specific life to the new songs especially the rockers like ‘Hope the High Road’ and ‘Cumberland Gap’.
Just as positioned on the album, the last song mentioned was
followed in the running order by ‘Tupelo’
Lyrically they perfectly complement each other in the perception, sentiment and
feeling; sonically they display the versatility of Jason treading the fine line
between the hard and soft rocker. The song from the new album that soared
immensely tonight was ‘Last of My Kind’.
It slowed things down at an opportune moment, allowed Jason to inject greater
personal feelings into his vocals and showcase how his writing gravitates to
another level when the inspiration cuts deep.
This last point seamlessly moves onto the incredibly moving
versions of ‘Elephant’ and ‘Cover Me Up’ that had the impact to
tear away at the heart of a pin drop audience sitting comfortably in their upholstered
seats. The masses who framed these moments as their highlight would struggle to
attract too many adversaries. They resonate as prime examples of why a sizable
chunk of the Jason Isbell fan base
consider 2013’s SOUTH EASTERN to be his finest work, coupled with the context.
In the year that Jason Isbell acquired a CMA nomination
(probably more a case of the latter reaching out than the artist churning out a
country record), we were served a helping of ‘If It Takes a Lifetime’ from his 2015 album SOMETHING MORE THAN
FREE. While that remains his most recent boldest step in the direction of a
straight up country song, it retains a certain charm and reasonably represented
the wares of this album alongside the title track and the additionally excellent
’24 Frames’.
A sly prior look at the tour’s set lists suggested that a Tom
Petty song was likely to feature in the finale and Birmingham had the treat of ‘Refugee’ as the night’s final encore
song. This was probably the hardest the band rocked all night and ensured an
audience did not sink back into their seats after greeting the main set closer
with the inevitable standing ovation. The added good news was that the set time well-exceeded my ninety-minute benchmark that had risen as an issue a few days
earlier with another gig. This was probably never going to refer to Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit.
There is a tendency for high quality American touring artists
to select their opening acts from a similar gene pool. Tift Merritt was a good
choice for these UK shows as she shares the rare talent of exceptional song
writing skills with the headliner. Her own solo recording career stretches back
a little further than Jason’s, and each time she arrives over here for some
kind of show, the breadth of her talent is instantly recognisable. In this
evening’s packed thirty-minute support slot, she flittered between acoustic
guitar, electric guitar and piano. She sung the title track off two albums from her expanding back catalogue – STITCH OF THE WORLD and TRAVELING ALONE , and
two excellent songs from other releases including‘Feel
the World’ (a personalised sentimental version this evening) and her
signature song ‘Good Hearted Man’.
This was Tift’s second appearance on the Symphony Hall stage this year after
her inclusion on the Transatlantic Sessions cast. Moreover, this was the fourth time
seeing Tift in Birmingham over the last decade, but all have been frustratingly
short sets. The opportunity to finally catch this captivating artist in a full
show will surely come to the fore one day.