A musical celebration of the 50 states. One song each week over the course of the year.
Alabama Pines – Jason Isbell
Today, we inaugurate this project with Alabama. For me, this was an easy choice. Alabama has a strong bench of songs (from standards like “Stars Fell on Alabama” to Coltrane’s excellent “Alabama” to the classic “Sweet Home Alabama” to the somewhat loosely affiliated “Boulder to Birmingham”), but “Alabama Pines” is a work of pure genius from one of the finest songwriters on the planet. It’s achingly sad: the perfect encapsulation of a disenchanted Southern spirit, of dead-end dreams and a weariness with the world. Isbell’s voice on the chorus just brings me to my knees every time I hear it.
In fact, on the very first state, I may have already discussed my favorite song of the whole project. Things will get far dicier next week as I take on Alaska…