Here We Rest is the third studio album by American musician Jason Isbell, and the second credited to "Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit". It was released on April 12, 2011. On October 18, 2019, the album was re-released with remixing done by Dave Cobb and remastering done by Pete Lyman.
| Here We Rest | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit | ||||
| Released | April 12, 2011 | |||
| Genre | Southern Rock, Alternative Country, Americana, Soul | |||
| Length | 39:38 | |||
| Label | Lightning Rod Records | |||
| Producer | Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit | |||
| Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 76/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   )[2] |
| Boston Phoenix |  )[3] |
| Robert Christgau |  [4] |
| Pitchfork Media | (6.0/10)[5] |
The album received a Metacritic score of 76 based on 15 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews.[1] Andrew Leahey of AllMusic found that the songs in the album had captured "archetypal characters that populate most struggling Southern towns" with a "sympathetic soundtrack of folk, country, and bar band rock & roll", one that is "bittersweet, but there’s an air of resilience".[2] Zeth Lundy of Boston Phoenix thought that Isbell had settled into his "comfortable post-Truckers solo-artist groove," and that his voice "is now smoother, older yet less weathered."[3] Nick Coleman of Independent on Sunday however felt that what kept the album from becoming an impressive album is "the slightness of [Isbell's] voice – and his band".[6]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Alabama Pines" | 3:49 |
| 2. | "Go It Alone" | 4:27 |
| 3. | "We've Met" | 3:08 |
| 4. | "Codeine" | 5:36 |
| 5. | "Stopping By" | 4:09 |
| 6. | "Daisy Mae" | 2:53 |
| 7. | "The Ballad of Nobeard" | 0:27 |
| 8. | "Never Could Believe" | 4:06 |
| 9. | "Heart on a String" | 3:49 |
| 10. | "Save It For Sunday" | 3:49 |
| 11. | "Tour of Duty" | 3:29 |
"Go It Alone" was used in Sons of Anarchy Season 4 episode "Booster." "Alabama Pines" won Song of the Year at the 2012 Americana Music Awards.
Personnel
edit- Jason Isbell - lead vocal, lead and rhythm guitars, piano, organ
- Jimbo Hart - electric bass, upright bass, backup vocals
- Browan Lollar - lead and rhythm guitar, backup vocals
- Derry deBorja - piano, organ, accordion, backup vocals
- Chad Gamble - drums, percussion, backup vocals
- Special Guests
- Abby Owens - harmony vocals
- Amanda Shires - harmony vocals, fiddle
Cover art
edit- Browan Lollar
References
edit- ^ a b "Here We Rest by Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit". Metacritic.
- ^ a b Leahey, Andrew. "Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: Here We Rest". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: Here We Rest". Boston Phoenix. Archived from the original on 2016-01-19.
- ^ "Robert Christgau: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit". Robert Christgau. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^ Deusner, Stephen M. (April 11, 2011). "Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: Here We Rest". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^ Nick Coleman (April 16, 2011). "Album: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Here We Rest (Lightning Rod)". Independent on Sunday.