Tuesday, 15 August 2017

New Entry: Tense, Nervous Jason?








You'd be forgiven for thinking that the new Jason Isbell album continues down the same alt-country path as his previous record (one of the best albums of 2015), Something More Than Free. He has, after all, called the new one The Nashville Sound... I mean, you don't get more country than that, right?



Imagine your surprise then, when you discover that Isbell has chosen instead to craft a flawless ROCK album, still country flavoure, but with a heart of SOLID ROCK. And that heart is Anxiety, the 7 minute lynchpin that holds the whole record together. Make no mistake, this song is a BEAST. It is ROCK that DEMANDS CAPITAL LETTERS. Even though the majority of it is a mid-tempo country song, it's bookended by power chords that will rattle your speakers and make your heart jump out of your chest. Nobody's done something so interesting - and apt - with the whole loud-quiet-loud mix since Kurt Cobain compared his libido to a mosquito. Very appropriate for a song on this particular subject...
Anxiety
Why am I never where I am supposed to be?
Even with my lover sleeping close to me
I'm wide awake and I'm in pain
Anxiety is a weird thing. I can stand up in front of a class of 30 strangers and feel supremely at ease. Other situations though, much smaller things, can make me feel panicky and desperate. And as most of us know, there's nothing worse than the anxiety that hits you in the middle of the night. I've talked about that before. Time to seek out The Peace Of Wild Things... 


 
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10 comments:

  1. Charity Chic15 August 2017 at 18:39

    It is indeed rocky , but in a good way
    Still don't think he is as rocky as the Patterson Hood influenced DBTs

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    1. Rol16 August 2017 at 09:15

      I think Isbell needed to get out of that group to do his own thing... arguably eclipsing them in the process.

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  2. C15 August 2017 at 18:46

    I see (hear) what you mean, the feel of this song is so appropriate to the sentiment.
    A weird thing, anxiety - it knows no logic, and being told not to worry rarely helps. I think we just have to square it with ourselves somehow, work our way through it and learn the coping mechanisms that work best for us alone. Might sound daft, but after all the mental ploys and methods I've tried, one of the things I've found helps the most is a physical thing: a handful of nuts a day. Especially brazil nuts! (The potassium in them, I believe).

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    1. Rol16 August 2017 at 09:16

      I used to eat lots more nuts than I do now.

      Just popping out to Holland & Barrett...

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    2. C16 August 2017 at 10:24

      And cashews... tryptophan apparently... better sleep.

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    3. Rol16 August 2017 at 10:29

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf-oitGkGEw

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    4. C16 August 2017 at 11:26

      Haha! - My Top Ten Nut Songs...?

      Delete
  3. Brian16 August 2017 at 08:16

    Had this in my hand the other day and ended up putting it back. Big mistake.

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  4. Chris28 August 2017 at 11:44

    I agree Anxiety is a strong and relatable song. Good description of its qualities here. I tried his new album but sadly found the other material a bit bland.

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