Jason Isbell Finds Quiet Power in Foxes in the Snow

In 2022, David Crosbie called Jason "one of the best writers in the country"

Jason Isbell’s Foxes in the Snow arrives as a quietly devastating and deeply introspective acoustic record. Written and recorded in the wake of his 2024 divorce from Amanda Shires, the album strips away full-band arrangements in favour of something more fragile and personal. Captured over five days at Electric Lady Studios with producer Dave Cobb, this is Isbell at his most bare, both musically and emotionally.

Across ten tracks, Isbell leans into acoustic textures and solo performances that bring his lyrics into sharp relief. There’s a soft-spoken intensity throughout, as though each song were whispered in confidence. Nowhere is that more evident than in “Gravelweed,” where he confesses, “I wish I could be angry,” a line that stings with resignation rather than bitterness.

“Eileen” and “Middle of the Morning” continue the emotional excavation, full of tender melodies and open wounds. “Don’t Be Tough” plays like a letter to his daughter, passing on hard-earned wisdom in plainspoken verses: “Don’t be shitty to the waiter / He’s had a harder day than you.” The sentiment is simple, but it resonates in the way only Isbell can deliver—quiet, knowing, and true.

Instrumentally, the album revolves around Isbell’s vintage 1940 Martin 0-17 acoustic guitar, lending the tracks a warm, aged character. With no rhythm section or electric flourishes to hide behind, the focus is entirely on his storytelling. The result recalls the folk purity of John Prine or Townes Van Zandt—songs that feel timeless in their construction and deeply personal in their delivery.

Critics have largely praised the record for its emotional clarity and restraint. One reviewer called it “roots music in its most unfiltered form,” and others have noted that it might be Isbell’s most honest work to date. The minimalism isn’t a gimmick—it’s a choice that underscores the weight of what’s being said.

In Foxes in the Snow, Isbell doesn’t wallow in heartbreak so much as examine it, calmly and with a poet’s precision. It’s an album about coming undone, yes—but also about what remains when everything else has fallen away. Quiet, raw, and deeply human, it’s a haunting new chapter in an already remarkable career.

Sources:  

·  Paste Magazine

·  Glide Magazine

·  Holler Country

·  The Fire Note