Getting married and sober has been prime fodder for many singer-songwriters over the years, but Jason Isbell goes well beyond the press-ready lede on his fourth LP. At one point, 2011 tourmate Ryan Adams — complete with a similar recent backstory — had even signed up to produce what might’ve been Isbell’s own Ashes & Fire. There’s a bit of that here on Southeastern, particularly on spare opener “Cover Me Up,” but chalking it up to such simple redemption would be doing the record’s great depth and versatility a disservice. After a few spins today — while reading The NY Times Magazine‘s new Isbell profile piece — it’s hard to imagine anyone other than David Cobb producing this set of heartbreaking, hopeful, and romantic tunes. “There’s a man who walks beside me, he is who I used to be,” he bookends on solo-acoustic standout “Live Oak,” calling some of this discussion to the table. “And I wonder if she sees him and confuses him with me.” There’s no confusion here, just one of the best records from a guy who’s always had this in him. Stream it below (via MTV Hive):
