Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow
It’s got to be tough, writing about something everyone’s heard about, everyone has an opinion on, and everyone thinks they know what happened. It reminds me of something Jim Rome has said – “We don’t know these people.” He was talking about athletes, but it really applies to anyone with any modicum of fame. We think we know their lives – their secrets – but we don’t, so we make up stories and try to sound like experts. So when someone like Jason Isbell sits down to write and record his first songs post-divorce from Amanda Shires, he’s writing his truth, but he’s also (whether he chooses to or not) battling perceptions that have formed over the past year.
Foxes in the Snow is an all-acoustic, all-Isbell set – just his 1940 Martin 0-17 and his voice which, seemingly, gets better every year (apparently, a few vocal lessons have been thrown into the mix). And, lyrically, they’re some of Isbell’s most straightforward songs since before his now-classic Southeastern was released in 2013. In fact, my first listen of Foxes reminded me of the simplicity of the Southeastern demos released as part of the 10-year anniversary box set (imagine being Dave Cobb and hearing those for the first time). I got to wondering if recording these new tunes in such an uncluttered setting (producer Gena Johnson and assistant engineer Michael Deano are the only other credited studio staff) was a way to degauss his mind and, at the same time, allow his words to stand front and center. The album’s first track (and lead single), “Bury Me,” does, in fact, begin only with Isbell’s voice, the first verse anticipating his own nomadic musician’s demise – “Bury me right where I fall/Tokyo to Tennessee/I loved them all.” A similar reckoning with mortality is found in “Crimson and Clay,” with Isbell seeking solace in his home state of Alabama – “I guess the city didn’t kill me after all/Thing that nearly took me out/Was loneliness and alcohol” – after a quarter century of peril-filled world travel.
Booze makes several appearances on Foxes in the Snow. Isbell freely and regularly talks about his continuing recovery, but the mentions of alcohol, both pre- and post-sobriety, are more prevalent here than in most of his work, indicating that these songs cover a wide swath of his life, and it may be just now that he’s found the right time to record and release them. “Ride to Robert’s” references the titular Nashville honky tonk – “Before the room gets packed/We’ll claim a table at the upstairs bar” – and “Good While It Lasted” has Isbell facing love as a functional adult for the first time – “Last time I tried this sober, I was 17.”
Let’s be honest, though – if you’ve read this far, you’re a) a true Isbell fan and b) waiting for tea to be spilt. So, where’s the break-up stuff? “True Believer” gets at it, pairing the prettiest melody on the record with its angriest lyrics – “Why are y’all examining me like I’m a murder suspect” – as Isbell contends with the downside of being a public figure whose emotional vulnerability is one of his most respected traits. He even brushes up against uncharacteristic bitterness – “All your girlfriends say I broke your fucking heart/And I don’t like it” – until he recalls the resilience he’s had to dial up on so many occasions in his own life – “Just when you think that I’m beaten, I get up every time.” It’s that resounding belief in himself – in his growth, in his sobriety – that he calls upon in “Gravelweed.” Rather than indulge that anger – “But that ain’t me anymore, baby/Never was, to tell the truth” – he emphasizes the changes that we all go through, changes that, when successful, might cause us to push people out of our lives – “I was a gravelweed, and I needed you to raise me/You couldn’t reach me once I felt like I was raised.” Exes and fans alike might not be ready for him to move on – “And now that I live to see my melodies betray me/I’m sorry the love songs all mean different things today” (think about that next time you listen to “Flagship”).
But Foxes in the Snow is more about the endurance of love (past, present and future) than it is about court-approved endings. This comes through most strongly in ”Don’t Be Tough,” an upbeat strummer which reads like his version of “Outfit”-like advice to his daughter, a list of life tips which is best summarized in the line, “Don’t be tough until you have to/Let love knock you on your ass.” Good advice to someone who’s still growing up, but equally appropriate for someone who finds themself starting over.
Song I Can’t Wait to Hear Live: “True Believer” – the emotional turbulence of this track, from confusion to anger to resolve, promises to be an in-concert highlight. Hopefully, the upcoming “An Evening with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit” shows will make room for a short acoustic set.
Foxes in the Snow was produced by Jason Isbell and Gena Johnson, engineered and mixed by Johnson and mastered by Pete Lyman. All songs written and performed by Isbell.
Go here to order Foxes in the Snow (out March 7): https://stores.portmerch.com/jasonisbell/pre-order-foxes-in-the-snow.html
Check out tour dates here: https://www.jasonisbell.com/shows
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