Six-time Grammy Award-winning americana group Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit released “Live From The Ryman, Vol. 2” this past Friday. It is a 15-song collection of some of the group’s best work to date. Mostly including tracks from his “Reunions” and “Weathervanes” albums, the result is a compilation that improves on volume one in nearly every way.

The album opens with “Save the World,” one of Isbell’s most lyrically intense tracks. It translates to the live setting perfectly. It is slightly toned down from the studio version but still cuts through. “King of Oklahoma” follows, with Isbell’s vocals really shining here, along with a great guitar riff in the second half.

The next three tracks are one of the record’s strongest points, starting with haunting harmonies to open “Only Children,” a slower track. It ramps back up immediately with “Overseas,” one of the hardest rockers on the record, with Isbell really showing some emotion. “Dreamsicle” features an instrumental break not seen on the studio version that adds some weight to the song.

The sixth track is “Running With Our Eyes Closed,” one of the more soulful pieces on the record with some great instrumentation. Another slower track follows in “Middle of the Morning,” before “The Last Song I Will Write,” the only time Isbell’s performed the song since 2010. It is a phenomenal rendition, with the guitars really shining through, especially in the instrumental section at the end.

A pair of acoustic tracks come next, beginning with “Strawberry Woman,” a song that just does a great job at painting a picture of its setting in your mind. “Cast Iron Skillet” is the slowest track on the album, striking through in a poignant way. Its troubling lyrics crush the listener.

“Miles” brings some energy back to the record, with over eight minutes of storytelling. “River” follows this up, the only live performance of the track in Isbell’s career. It is a quality version but would fit better if it came before “Miles,” as it has more of an acoustic backing. “When We Were Close” is next, a short but sweet rocker with real emotion.

The album’s penultimate track is “Room at the Top,” the only cover on the album. Isbell and the 400 Unit pay Tom Petty a great tribute with this version, as it was performed just over a week after Petty’s passing. It was their first live performance of the song, and it hit in every way. The record closes with “This Ain’t It,” an over nine-minute rocker with some fantastic dueling guitars in the middle.

Volume two seems to have a different mix than volume one, with the drums coming through sharper and the instrumentation seeming crisper throughout. It may take an adjustment if you have listened to the first one, but it is an improvement overall.

While the tracklist of “Live From The Ryman, Vol. 2” may not be as strong as the first, lacking Isbell’s most famous tracks such as “Cover Me Up” and “If We Were Vampires,” the new mixes and rare performances more than make up for it. It is a must-listen for any Americana fan and shows the peak of one of the genre’s all-time greats.

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