Jim Lauderdale - Game Changer // Alan Cackett Review

There may be none more quintessentially ‘country’ than Jim Lauderdale. His infectious enthusiasm for country music remains a deep well of inspiration that I draw on if I ever feel down. I can always close my eyes and see him point to me. Since making his recording debut in 1979 with a then-unreleased duo album with Roland White, the prolific singer-songwriter has released 35 albums ranging from straight country through bluegrass to soul-r&b to singer-songwriter fare.

He has steadfastly maintained a rootsy approach to everything he tackles making him something of an Americana icon. Contemporary country music production works around the concept of making everything loud. Lauderdale goes in the other direction, turning down the music volume so that his vocals pop, but also so that it doesn’t feel like he’s coming at you through a bullhorn. GAME CHANGER is chock full of the clever wordplay that we expect from him, and the similarly low-key delivery that has marked his music for more than 40 years. And while there’s no decisive change of tack, this collection further affirms why he’s such an important player in an essential idiom. Read more…