Reviews

Like Jason Isbell and so many others before him, singer/songwriter Dylan LeBlanc hit bottom a few years back and emerged with a brilliant recounting and reckoning in the form of his new Cautionary Tale. Produced by John Paul White (formerly of the Civil Wars) and Ben Tanner (of the Alabama Shakes), the early \’70s-inspired album…

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As has been proven time and again over the past few years by both critics and charts, Jason Isbell\’s star is on the rise. In October, he sold out four nights at Ryman Auditorium, so to catch one of his two (also sold-out) performances at the much-smaller City Winery was a rare treat. The scaled-back setting afforded…

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David Ramirez\’s new album, Fables, is a jewel in the 2015 Americana crown and a must-listen for anyone who has ever waged a personal war with the capital “t” Truth. Problem is, the first two cuts of the album are so good, it\’s hard to get past them to explore the other eight. “Communion” opens…

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Even though they may be encoded with 1s and 0s or enshrined in vinyl grooves, songs are not static entities. They live and breathe, expand and contract as the years wear on. They take on different meanings for the listener, just as they do for the artist. It\’s no wonder, then, that singer/songwriter Natalie Merchant…

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There\’s so much going on in singer/songwriter Jeffrey Foucault\’s voice that, if he were singing “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star,” it would feel like the existential wonderings of a road-worn, world-weary celestial traveler that it is rather than a simple kids\’ song. Instead, on his fifth album of original compositions, Foucault offers up a collection of…

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As a songwriter, guitar player, and band leader, Jason Isbell is so talented, it\’s almost ridiculous. He\’s also one of the nicest, most humble guys in the business. And all of those qualities came into sharp focus last night at the third of four sold-out Ryman Auditorium shows. Isbell\’s poetry and playing are graceful and…

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Anyone who has followed Shawn Colvin\’s career for any length of time knows that she is very fond of covering songs. She can\’t help it. She got her start as a cover artist in a bar band. As good of a copy cat as she is, however, Colvin learned long ago that she had to…

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In a town so over-run with great singer/songwriters, it\’s sometimes easy to forget that Nashville\’s not the only place they come from. Massachusetts, California, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Oregon all do their part, too. Heck, even Iowa chips in, now and then. And, of course, there\’s always Texas which, on Friday…

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Most artists who play at Nashville\’s Ryman Auditorium comment about how historic the room is and what an honor it is to step on that stage. Maybe all of them mean it, but probably none of them to the extent that Brandi Carlile meant it on Saturday night. She seemed supremely touched and genuinely humbled…

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As artists move through the world, they see and feel things that less-sensitive people don\’t. Then, they retreat to their creative spaces and translate those experiences into music, paintings, and words, as best they can. Patty Griffin has long had her eyes and heart trained on the stories unfolding around her in the lives of…

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