Search - Jim Lauderdale :: Whisper

Jim is a versatile songwriter and a brilliant performer

07/04/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jim Lauderdale is one of the finest performers/songwriters/singers alive today, along with Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, Keiran Kane, John Prine, and John Hiatt. The first time I heard of Jim was on a New Country C.D. sampler. The song was I Wanna Run. After that I had to buy all the albums I could find. After Whisper came out I loved him even more. I had the oppertunity to see him in concert with Lucinda Williams. After the show I was able to meet him. He is kind, gentle, witty, and not at all taken with himself. And I love his shirts!!!"

First Class Singer-Songwriter

pwb | Germantown, MD USA | 10/20/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this record in response to seeing Jim Lauderdale perform at a small club (the Thunderbird Cafe) in Brussels, Belgium this past Spring. The songwriting, playing & technical aspects of 'Whisper' are all first class - especially on the title track - an instant classic and the first album track (which I can't rememeber the title of off the top of my head!). The melodies & hooks are memorable after the first listen and deep enough to discover nuances with each play. What is most impressive is Jim's ability to match his vocal style to the material. He can sound like Marty Stuart on one song, Randy Travis the next and then swing over to George Jones. His ability to cover a range of vocal styles equals Billy Joel in this regard but seems to leave him out of the country radio limelight (- maybe it's better in the shade!)."

Top-notch songwriter notches another top-notch LP

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 06/04/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Nashville is full of great songwriters hoping to break as performers. Sadly, the commercial return on their written works often dwarfs that from their recordings. Such is Jim Lauderdale's lot: his songwriting tops the charts with hits by George Strait, Patty Loveless and others, while his albums and collaborations with pals like Buddy Miller, amass critical praise far in excess of sales.Songwriters often fashion themselves vocalists, but haven't the pipes to back it up. That's not the case here. Lauderdale's baritone has the confidence and style of a seasoned performer. The result is an energetic album of superb songwriting, solo and in collaboration with legends Howard Harlan, Frank Dycus and Melba Montgomery. The lyrical craft shines through a timely Titanic metaphor, "Didn't know my heart was in harm's way / Couldn't see the truth `til it was in my face / If I'd seen it coming, could have turned away," while the dance floor calls out for the honky-tonk recriminations of "Goodbye Song" and "Hole in My Head." "Take Me Down a Path (My Heart Won't Know)" could easily be mistaken as a good page from the Buck Owens' songbook.Whether or not it eats up the charts, "Whisper" screams."