New Release: Jason Isbell, Foxes in the Snow

Your average singer-songwriter isn’t overly prolific in changing up what works. But Jason Isbell is no average artist. The Alabama-born musician has released four solo albums, six with the 400 Unit, and four more with Drive-By Truckers. His latest, Foxes in the Snow, is a stark departure from his usual rock-tinged Americana. Stripped down to just Isbell and his acoustic guitar, the album moves from a whisper to a scream, tackling weighty themes and deep emotions. His recent divorce from fiddler/singer Amanda Shires after 10 years of marriage—producing a daughter —seems to have left a mark, softening his typical rock ‘n’ roll bravado into something rawer and more introspective.

Now 46, Isbell has never shied away from personal storytelling, openly sharing his struggles in a way that cements his everyman appeal. His music chronicles not just love and loss, but also the state of the world, politics, and his battles with addiction. Fans have long celebrated his sobriety, which he explored extensively on his 2013 solo album, Southeastern. That record gave us “Cover Me Up,” now considered his career-defining song. When he sings, “I sobered up, I swore off that stuff forever this time,” concertgoers roar the lyrics back at him—a testament to how deeply his art mirrors his life. Many have publicly thanked him via social media in their own quests to get sober.

The first single from Foxes in the Snow, “Bury Me,” sets the tone for what was to come: just Jason and an acoustic guitar on every track. That’s it. This is his bravest and most personal collection of stories in recent memory. Should we call it a breakup album? Or is it simply another stroke of genius from one of the most gifted songwriters of our time? His guitar work is pristine, unadorned by layers of rock ‘n’ roll instrumentation. His heart is on his sleeve, and we feel every beat of it. The title track, released as the second single, hints at new love—or is it a love of the past? The refrain, “I love my love,” sounds like an announcement of something new.

The album tells a story across 11 songs. The gorgeous “Ride to Robert’s” paints a picture of young summer love: “Everything’s green right now / Tennessee at the end of June.” On “Gravelweed,” Isbell may be addressing Shires when he sings, “I was a gravelweed and I needed you to raise me / I’m sorry the day came when I felt like I was raised / And now that I live to see my melodies betray me / I’m sorry the love songs all mean different things today.” Even past songs like “If We Were Vampires” now take on new meaning—even if he never performs them again.

The final three tracks—”Good While It Lasted,” “True Believer,” and “Wind Behind the Rain”—follow the arc of winter giving way to spring. One door closes, another opens. Rebirth requires loss. Before the divorce, Isbell often sang with and to Shires and about his daughter (“Letting You Go”). These songs on Foxes could be interpreted with different muses as the focus. But that’s the beauty of Isbell’s songwriting—like all great artists, he leaves space for listeners to find their own meaning and emotional responses in the gaps.

Visit Isbell’s Bandcamp page to listen, read the lyrics, and purchase Foxes in the Snow. And catch him on tour this spring across North America.