Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Reunions | Album Review

Grammy-winning Americana collective Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit release one of the very best albums of 2020, Reunions.

After a three-year hiatus, one of the best musicians in the game has returned.  No, we’re not talking about a hip-hop musician, but rather, a Grammy-winning rock/Americana musician, Jason Isbell.  Specifically, him and his Grammy-winning collective Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit is back with a brand-new studio album, Reunions.  Reunions arrived three years after the successful The Nashville Sound, which marked my first listening experiences with Isbell.  Reunions is another spectacular addition to the musician’s discography. There are no missteps whatsoever among the 10 tracks that grace this album.

“What’ve I Done to Help”

“What’ve I done to help? / What’ve I done to help? / Somebody save me / What’ve I done to help? / What’ve I done to help? / And not myself?” Reunions kicks off in truly epic fashion with ✓ “What’ve I Done to Help.” The six-and-a-half-minute-plus juggernaut features a heaping dose of rhythmic acoustic guitar (electric too), strings, and ample soulfulness from Jason Isbell.  Further contributing to the epic nature of the opener is a simple but incredibly catchy and effective chorus (aforementioned), and strong, personal and introspective songwriting overall.  How is it personal? Isbell speaks about past missteps:

“See, I’ve made mistakes that I can’t erase
Some of the love I’ve lost will not come back to me
...She didn’t deserve it, nobody ever deserves it
But I cut anchor and I drifted out to sea
And you found me busted and somehow you trust
I was not what I could be.”

“What’ve I Done to Help” is definitely a hard act to follow, but the gorgeous ✓ “Dreamsicle” is more than up to the task.  Once again, Jason Isbell delivers a marvelous, poetic chorus, deeper and even more potent than the glorious centerpiece gracing “What’ve I Done to Help.”  Of course, besides the chorus, the three verses are all thoughtfully penned, capturing some truly sad situations.  On the first verse, it comes from the perspective of a frequently moving child.  The second verse, Mama is sad, and the child wants Daddy to come home – “We need help.” On the third and final verse, the child looks ahead to the freedom from this unfortunate tale: “Broken glass and broken glass / I’ll be 18 four years from now / With different friends in a different town / I’ll finally be free.”

“Only Children”

The harmonized vocals on “Only Children” is certainly a thoughtful, musical touch.  The overall sound of the record is sound – nothing too crazy or overly flashy. The songwriting continues to be quite sweet, with varied choruses following the verses and bridge.  Perhaps “Only Children” doesn’t eclipse the one-two punch of “What’ve I Done to Help” and “Dreamsicle,” but it’s certainly consistent to the nth degree.

“Overseas” keeps the momentum going strong, with some assertive electric guitar action assisting the cause.  Between the final chorus sections (once more varied), the listener is blessed with a pretty sick, bluesy guitar solo.  Also, noteworthy is the harmonic progression, which is straightforward overall, but has a few tricks up its sleeve.  Of course, Isbell’s ace in the hole remains his songwriting abilities.

“Running with Our Eyes Closed” feels very natural, initiating with a simple, cymbal-fueled groove, that gradually evolves into something more substantial without overstepping.  The guitars definitely roar more on during the chorus. (“Running with our eyes closed”), but there’s still that great sense of balance.  One of the biggest musical surprises is the use of synths, which occurs briefly during the bridge section, before The 400 Unit returns to a more traditional, Americana, rock sound.  Once more, this is another well-rounded number, though not necessarily the first track that comes to mind when reflecting on Reunions.

“River” 

✓ “River” embraces more of that ‘countrified’ Americana sound.  Some folks might say Americana and country music are synonymous, but I don’t agree with that argument, even if there are clear parallels.  Anyways, this more countrified approach is a great choice on Jason Isbell’s end, infusing great vocal personality.  Also, the use of piano and organ adds a hint of southern gospel sensibility, which definitely feels right and supports the recurring lyrics, “The river is my savior.” “River” is among the crème de la crème of Reunions.

“Be afraid, be very afraid / But do it anyway / Do it anyway.” Promo single ✓ “Be Afraid” remains quite successful within the context of Reunions. Isbell is incredibly authentic and relevant, speaking on the importance of using the artistic platform properly.  Using that platform correctly, he believes, is conveying what’s happening in the world and ultimately being courageous in sharing your voice, even if it’s scary. In Jason’s eyes, musicians have a responsibility to stand up for right, share their beliefs, and be authentic as opposed to fake. Beyond the chorus, there are other lyrical gems. He brings personal aspects in, such as his daughter, who he’s mentioned in the past. He embraces activism in a number of instances.  “We don’t take requests / We won’t shut up and sing,” he sings, adding, “Tell the truth enough you’ll find it rhymes with everything.”

“St. Peters Autograph”

Entering homestretch of Reunions, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit continue to impress. ✓ “St. Peters Autograph” is quite the about face compared to “Be Afraid.” It’s a much more somber record, conveyed both musically and lyrically.  Isbell asks on the first verse, “What do I do to make you smile / You been hurting for a while.” We get more clarity on the second verse about the situation, when Jason sings, “Now you’ve lost another friend / Who couldn’t stay to see the end / He had somewhere else to be…”  Essentially, Isbell wants to be a comfort to his wife, who’s longtime friend, Neal Casal, committed suicide in 2019.  The song is another superb moment from the album.

Thankfully, after a ‘sadder’ moment, Jason Isbell totally rocks out on the thrilling penultimate cut, ✓ “It Gets Easier.” His voice is incredibly clear and assertive.  The way he digs in – the energy he brings – is awesome.  Likewise, the musical backdrop takes on this same energy, totally fueling the fire.  The lyrics continue to compel, as they have throughout the course of Reunions, with the chorus being the crowning achievement:

“It gets easier, but it never gets easy
I can say it’s all worth it, but you won’t believe me
Hold down your liquor or swallow your pride
You’d rather keep it inside
It gets easier but it never gets easy.”

Isbell concludes the album with another ‘countrified’ Americana joint, “Letting You Go.” In this compound duple meter ballad, we get a bit more twang and of course, more feels.  It’s a fitting closer, but I wouldn’t have lamented in the least had “It Gets Easier” served as the coda.

Final Thoughts 

Jason Isbell is one of the best singer/songwriters of modern times, period.  He continues to excel at his craft on Reunions, an album that took me far longer to review than it should.  Is Reunions among the best albums of 2020? You bet.  What makes this a superb effort is first and foremost the songwriting, but also great vocals, strong production by Dave Cobb, and overall great musicianship exhibited by The 400 Unit itself.  While I wouldn’t characterize Reunions as a game changing album, it’s definitely a very good one that could very well earn Isbell additional Grammys.

✓ Gems: “What’ve I Done to Help,” “Dreamsicle,” “River,” “Be Afraid,” “St. Peter’s Autograph” & “It Gets Easier”

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit • Reunions • Southeastern • Release: 5.15.2020

Photo Credit: Southeastern