You may remember Jason Isbell as the baby-faced singer/guitarist from Drive-By Truckers. Perhaps you caught one of their raucous sets at Skipper’s Smokehouse the last few years. Or maybe you listened obsessively to their “Decoration Day” CD the entire summer of 2003 after breaking up with your girlfriend.

But more likely, you’ve never heard of him. And that’s a damn shame.

Isbell’s impressive debut solo turn, “Sirens of the Ditch,” is a bit of a departure from the Southern-fried roots rock of his former band—the songs are tighter, leaner and have sharper hooks—but still fits comfortably under the “alt-country” banner. Friday Extra editor and longtime Truckers fanatic Mitch Schafer gave it a three-star review recently, saying the new songs “showcase Isbell’s eloquent storytelling and eye for detail, proving the hotshot guitarist can deliver the lyrical goods.”

The disc came out July 10 and Isbell’s supporting tour comes to Crowbar in Ybor City on Saturday night. Supposedly he’s been throwing some killer covers into the set, including Thin Lizzy‘s “Jailbreak.” So get off the couch and set your DVR. You’re going out.

I couldn’t find any MP3s on Isbell’s site or his label’s (New West), but Autopsy IV posted this one over at Sticks of Fire. I have no idea if it’s official (i.e., legal) or not, so if you’re Jason or someone from New West and you have a problem with it, just let me know.

A track by Jason Isbell, courtesy of ???:

Jason Isbell, “Try” (from “Sirens of the Ditch") [mp3]