Jason Isbell: Classic Or Dud?

Relevant:

I did not receive a compassionate warning ahead of the song’s release (we found out about the song, when this page was tagged in posts about it the day it came out). While it’s not mandatory that he give me a heads up, considering it’s about my husband and mentions myself, and especially my daughter, it would have been a respectful thing to do, so that we weren’t completely blown apart when we heard it as it was celebrated as a new release.

Soon after, he was made aware that the song was extremely painful (an absolute trauma trigger) and we hoped the message was taken to heart (although he did not acknowledge it) and we hoped to move on and try to forget about it. However, we learned (due to being tagged in posts, etc) that he was opening most shows with it, and then to our complete shock he chose it as the song to play on Jimmy Kimmel on the first show back after the writer’s strike, undoubtedly to a massive audience – putting the song front and center. ‹That was one of the most painful moments following, because it was clear then that he did not care that this song was traumatizing to Justin’s loved ones and was actually pushing the song above all of the others on the album. He could have chosen any other song.

Fwiw, after the Kimmel performance, there were a number articles discussing the song, and I myself have heard a DJ on SiriusXM mention JTE after playing the song.

wow this whole thing is really gross :(

I just saw a clip of the interview where he says the song has to exist blah blah blah and it comes off even worse when you see it and I definitely feel like this dude is toxic

Recovery is such a huge part of his narrative that I can easily imagine it leading him to develop a kind of messianic sense of duty about it. Seems like he's having a hard time separating his own story from a need to cast everyone else's in the same stark terms, which certainly strays into being exploitative when you're talking about easily identifiable real people. I wouldn't say he's "toxic" but just playing armchair psychoanalyst I'd say he still has personality defects that maybe he mistakenly thinks sobriety resolved

Better days:

Like many radio operations, SiriusXMU often invites visiting artists to cover another artist’s song. We’ve recently heard Slow Pulp doing Lifehouse and Vampire Weekend doing the Grateful Dead. And during their visit this week, Waxahatchee presented a version of Drive-By Truckers’ Decoration Day track “Outfit.” Tigers Blood drummer Spencer Tweedy was on hand to harmonize with Katie Crutchfield on the cover while keeping the beat, which was a nice touch. Watch footage of the performance.