Jason Isbell, a country rock singer-songwriter, recently released his latest project, “Foxes in the Snow.” Once a member of the Drive-By Truckers and frequently in collaboration with his band The 400 Unit, Isbell went completely solo on this album for the first time since 2015’s release,  “Something More Than Free.” Isbell, an Alabama native, has developed his own style of Southern rock and roll throughout his long musical career.

“Foxes in the Snow” is an entirely acoustic album, and it works because Isbell is a phenomenal guitarist who needs nothing more than his voice and an instrument to tell a story. “Foxes in the Snow” has strong country influences, and the acoustic style contributes to the softness and delivery of many of the lyrics. Isbell’s recent releases, including the album “Weathervanes” with The 400 Unit, have gradually become more and more distanced from the grunge country rock style of the Drive-By Truckers. While songs like “Bury Me” and “Open and Close” still have charged and strong lyrics, Isbell’s form of delivery has changed, presenting them subtly but powerfully.

Isbell tells Southern stories throughout “Foxes in the Snow,” a pattern through his past work as well. He sings about receiving a gun on his ninth birthday in “Crimson and Clay,” a song about returning home, longing for what’s familiar and falling back into bad habits related to his hometown. On “Don’t Be Tough,” Isbell gives a Southern rendition of fatherly advice, dishing out one-liners like “Don’t be tough until you have to” or “Let love knock you on your ass.” Similar to “Outfit,” an old Truckers’ song written by Isbell, the lyrics represent old-fashioned Southern advice given in a light-hearted, almost familial way. Isbell also sings about home in the South and the different microsms that separate Southern life from the rest of the country on the track “Open and Close.” 

Isbell chooses to write his songs about a few central themes that are very important to him. Many of his songs are about people recognizing their mistakes and attempting to change and learn from them. Isbell struggled with addiction during the early part of his career, stemming from his time with the Drive-By Truckers, but has been sober since 2013, the majority of his solo career. On “Gravelweed,” Isbell sings about the throes of addiction — “I wish that I could be angry… Drink a fifth of cheap whiskey.” He finds the inspiration for his lyrics within himself and his experiences, writing about addiction, his path to sobriety and life after the fact. Isbell also often sings about his romantic experiences, both the blissful highs and the pitiful lows. On “Eileen,” the third track of the album, soft and slow plucks of the guitar accent Isbell’s story of a past relationship, one riddled with regret and sadness in an attempt to find peace.

Isbell portrays a certain sense of optimism in his songs. Compared to his discography pre-sobriety, the tales in his music are more hopeful than regretful. While many of his songs deal with extremely heart-wrenching topics, like a lost lover, they present a positive message. At the very end of the album, Isbell sings a song of true love and admiration in “Wind Behind the Rain,” including lyrics like, “I wanna see you smiling when you’re 90.” Despite his inconsistency with love and relationships, including two divorces with fellow musicians, Isbell still holds an optimistic view towards love.

“Foxes in the Snow” is steadily growing on me as one of Isbell’s great albums. Isbell can do wonders with an acoustic guitar, and I recommend this album to anyone who loves good, old-fashioned strumming. “Foxes in the Snow” features Isbell’s voice at its best in years, in addition to his stellar guitar-playing. Isbell claims he heard God speak to him during a performance at the Ryman, known for its legendary acoustics, on “True Believer.” Whatever he heard, it helped to make “Foxes in the Snow” a pretty damn good acoustic album.