With Notes of Country, Funk, and Psychedelia, Jim Lauderdale’s Music is Remarkably Timeless

Explore his roots on these albums.

Album Reviews

Jim Lauderdale

Time Flies
Yep Roc

Jim Lauderdale & Roland White
Yep Roc

He made his mark in Nashville writing songs that were recorded by big stars such as George Strait, the Dixie Chicks, and Blake Shelton, but Jim Lauderdale’s own records are less moored to a particular scene. Like Buddy Miller, Dwight Yoakam, and other crafty veterans with roots in country, Lauderdale’s music is flexible enough to accommodate diverse elements, which has helped keep things remarkably fresh over a long recording career. Along with familiar downhome sounds, the wonderful “Time Flies” contains echoes of funk (“The Road Is a River”), psychedelia (“It Blows My Mind”), swing (“While You’re Hoping”), and soul jazz (“Wearing Out Your Cool”) but never feels gimmicky or forced, thanks to Lauderdale’s unstoppable melodies and engaging, folksy voice. It would be intriguing to see him collaborate with Britain’s Robyn Hitchcock, another well-seasoned artist, whose music has evolved from freaky to a similarly eclectic approach.

Folks interested in Lauderdale’s origins can check out his newly unearthed sessions with bluegrass all-star Roland White. Recorded nearly four decades ago and unreleased at the time, “Jim Lauderdale & Roland White” features plenty of high lonesome singing, plus enough jaunty mandolin, fiddle, and banjo to set toes tapping. Charming.

 

Fact:

Mother Jones was founded as a nonprofit in 1976 because we knew corporations and billionaires wouldn't fund the type of hard-hitting journalism we set out to do.

Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2024 demands.

payment methods

Fact:

Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2024 demands.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate