2LP – Jason Isbell – Something More than Free (10th)

2 LP

How does an artist follow a critically-acclaimed breakthrough record like Southeastern? For Jason Isbell, the answer was Something More Than Free. With songs like “24 Frames,” “Flagship,” and “Children of Children,” the 2015 album found Isbell tackling the subjects he knows best: the dignity of work, the difficulty of love, the friction between the present and the past. Something More Than Free further established the North Alabama native as a bonafide songwriter, and also netted him his first two Grammy Awards, for Americana Album of the Year, and for American Roots Song of the Year (“24 Frames.”)

10 years later, Something More Than Free has been re-mixed by the legendary Sylvia Massy (Prince, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty), breathing new life into these now classic songs in the Isbell canon. And as a cherry on top, the man has broken his normal rule and included a b-side here. “Should I Go Missing” is a bluesy jammer highlighted by Isbell’s slide guitar playing. If we’re lucky, it will become a staple at his upcoming live shows.