After losing my job, I wanted to use my free time to catch up with people. I was nervous on my way to meet a stranger who had been my friend on LiveJournal. Reconnecting made me feel 19 again. On a Wednesday afternoon in August,

SPEND time in Jason Isbell’s company and one thing becomes abundantly clear — comfort zones are NOT for him. It helps explain why this driven soul has become one of the most respected songwriters

After that they discuss the recent album announcement from Car Seat Headrest, their first in five years, and assess the current state of this late-2010s favorite. They also review the new Jason Isbell album out today,

An excellent bandleader, guitarist and singer, Isbell is first and foremost a songwriter, and that skill takes center stage on his new album, “Foxes in the Snow,” which will be released Friday. It’s Isbell’s first solo acoustic album, and his first album since 2013 without his band, the 400 Unit.

Now he releases his second new album since returning (and his 11th overall), and it finds him doing what he’s always done best. From the revved-up rock of opener “Television, A Ghost In My Head” to the twitchy “I’m A Little At A Loss” to the whimsical balladry of “I See the Same Things” to the towering mini-epic “Trash Crab,