Foxes in the Snow is a masterpiece that is not always an easy listen.
After first reviewing the 11 songs, I found myself crabby and fragile. Nearly an hour after that first listen, I felt near tears without explanation. I’ll be honest, the album kind of wrecked me for at least a few hours. How can music dig that deep? It’s both beautiful and disturbing.
Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires announced their divorce a mere three months after they both performed at Grand Rapids Riverfest in 2023. Sitting in on each other's entire sets, their performances along the banks of the Mississippi River in Grand Rapids were genuine with a shared respect for each other.
Now, looking back, I wonder if they were aware it would be their last performance as a married couple? One last performance of the stripped back "If We Were Vampires," that happened to take place under a shooting star? We'll probably never know the answer, but we can be grateful for what we were able to witness up close.
Less than a year and a half since that performance, Isbell has outdone himself with Foxes in the Snow, a collection of songs that feel like a living document. The songs are equal parts post-divorce goodbye and a welcoming in of new life and new love.
Isbell is a songwriter known for lyrics that touch the heart, and this release may bring some complicated emotions for fans of both Isbell and Shires.
His first solo effort in a decade, this is a solo record in its truest form, with only Isbell and his guitar. Recorded at New York City’s Electric Lady Studios in just five days, the songs are sparse and intimate. His masterful guitar work is centered alongside clear and at times, hard-hitting lyrics, with Isbell leaning in hard to his folk and country roots.
The album kicks off with "Bury Me," a traditional-sounding cowboy song that immediately feels familiar. Also, it's maybe a bit of a misdirect as it was the first single released as our sneak peek into the record.
"Ride to Roberts," "Open and Close," "Good While It Lasted" and "Foxes in the Snow" are alive with images of his newfound life and a quiet, new relationship, with the latter featuring the lyrics:
"I love my love/ Her golden hair/ I like to picture her alone when I'm not there/ I like hеr friends/ The ones I know/ Thеy leave drops of blood like foxes in the snow."
Other songs like "Eileen" and "Gravelweed" are pointed at the loss of a relationship. One could also argue that the lyrics in "Gravelwood" may be a song written for both his fans and Shires alike:
"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."
The most pointed break-up song on the album is one of the hardest listens. The lyrics of "True Believer" are sad, angry, misunderstood and heartbreakingly beautiful.
“All your girlfriends say I broke your f****** heart and I don't like it/ There's a letter on the nightstand I don't think I'll ever read/ Well, I finally found a match, and you kept daring me to strike it/ And now I have to let it burn to let it be/
"Like the stain on your teeth, I'm as stubborn as wine/ Just when you think that I'm beaten, I get up every time/ So when we pass on the highway, I'll smile and I'll wave/ And I'll always be a true believer, babe."
In all, this is an album worth an intentional listen. Put those earbuds in and take some deep breaths.
Must listens
- "Bury Me"
- "Ride to Robert's"
- "Eileen"
- "Gravelweed"
- "Foxes in the Snow"
- "Good While It Lasted"
- "True Believer"
