Album Review: Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Live From The Ryman

There’s that age-old conundrum with live albums – it’s never going to be as good as actually being there but you do get to hear different versions of songs and the little nuances they entail. Jason Isbell released a live EP back in 2008 and the Live From Alabama album in 2012 so it’s clear he’s always been immensely proud of what he and his band, The 400 Unit, can do on stage in front of an audience. While those earlier records showed a band in full flight with something to prove, this release sees them in full command and finding greater depth and clarity in Isbell’s songs.

All of the tracks come from Isbell’s recent and positively received albums, The Nashville Sound, Something More Than Free and his breakthrough album Southeastern. It’s the tracks off that record, Elephant and Cover Me Up, that sound like timeless classics, performed with real poise and power. When his voice accelerates up through the notes in Cover Me Up, it’s positively transcendent. Amanda Shires’ violin sounds more organic and effective than it does on the records and the band are always tight without squeezing the space and oxygen out of the song, instead allowing them to stagger, sway and holler when required.

Super 8 always felt like a throwaway track on Southeastern, gatecrashing the refined beauty around it, but here it makes more sense amid the volume and devoted fans, allowing everyone on stage to go full rock, like a Southern frills-free bar band. White Man’s World is righteous and defiant, an important song for these times, while Isbell leaves us with the intimate love song that is If We Were Vampires. It’s a satisfying way to pull back from the rock'n'roll and remind the audience of Isbell’s craft and the power of economic and emotive songwriting. There’s nothing revelatory about this release but it’s a fine document for those who haven’t seen him live and an accurate reminder of the experience for those who have.