Jason Isbell is a southern boy and proud of it. Born in Greenhill, Ala., his music has always been steeped in the traditions of the South.

Isbell joined the Drive-By Truckers in 2001 as they were touring “Southern Rock Opera,” and wrote for and performed on their next three albums. When he left the band in 2007 to embark on a solo career, he released “Sirens of the Ditch” to critical acclaim. Two years later, he released his first album with his new band, the 400 Unit (named after the nickname for the psychiatric ward unit of Florence, Alabama's hospital), again to great kudos from the critics.

Now Isbell has done it again, with “Here We Rest,” an album that is sure to bring much praise from critics and fans alike. The album is very diverse and shows continued growth and maturity in Isbell's songwriting and performing.

In stores April 12 on Lightning Rod Records, “Here We Rest” embraces its Alabama roots, the title being the original motto of the state. Recorded at The Nutthouse in Sheffield and Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, the album opens with a great country-folk tune titled “Alabama Pines,” tugs at the heartstrings with soulful tunes like “We've Met” and “Save It For A Sunday,” rocks with “Go It Alone,” and “Never Could Believe,” and gets old school with the classic Candi Staton R&B classic “Heart On A String.”

Special guest Amanda Pearl Shines adds a heart-wrenching fiddle and vocals on “Daisy Mae,” a lovely country ode, and the album rounds out with “Tour of Duty,” a laid-back shuffle written from a returning soldier's point-of-view.

More than anything, Isbell's uncanny way of writing lyrics that stay with you and go straight to the heart is what makes this album stand out from his previous two. Isbell has always been a musical force to reckon with, and “Here We Rest” underscores that fact in spades.