She likes Whatve I Done to Help, Isbell says of her favorite track onReunions, his new album.
Its hard to turn that down.
Mercy wasnt the only fan of the singles galloping beat and catchy chorus.

Credit: ALYSSE GAFKJEN
His voice is still so powerful and strong.
I asked him how thats possible.
Mercy arrived weeks after that album.

Sadler Vaden (left) has played in Isbell’s band since 2013.Erika Goldring/Getty Images
That continued into the writing ofSomething More ThanFree, and then intoThe Nashville Sound.
By then, I saw a big change in his confidence as a person.
I think that I made less of an effort to be universal with these stories, he says.
Be Afraid is an intense rebuke of the Shut up and sing!
I was pleased with the attack of that song, Vaden says of Be Afraid.