Jason Isbell toured for a couple of years following his sophomore album release, then took a break to work on his third album. The result, 2011’s Here We Rest, is the record that made me a fan for life.

Here We Rest isn’t the first Isbell album I heard, but it’s the one that cemented him for me as a truly special talent. It’s the moment he fully comes into his own as a solo artist, creating a song cycle that’s achingly sad but reassuringly resilient.

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