Jim Lauderdale
Country Super Hits Volume 2
Sky Crunch
It was worth the wait.
Twenty years after Volume 1, Jim Lauderdale delivers an album chock full of wailing pedal steel, classic country vocals, and left-of-center Americana attitude, reminding us to look at everything from unexpected angles. As a 2025 inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Lauderdale delivers the first of a one-two punch for 2026. A Bluegrass collection, The Birds Know, is expected later this spring.
Opening with “I’ve Still Got You,” written with Eddie Perez (Mavericks, Dwight Yoakam) and Lance Miller, the bar is set high for the rest of Country Super Hits Volume 2. I have favorites, such as this one, but never found a track to skip. Each song unfolds like a stepladder, allowing the listener to anticipate the view, from heartbreak ballads to solid reasons to be thankful for the little things.
“Artificial Intelligence” stands out as a timely opinion piece wrapped in the comfort food of a honky-tonk package. I felt both a stinging nostalgia for Buck Owens and George Jones, and an appreciation for Lauderdale’s ability to bend every note in a way that no machine will ever accomplish. I don’t know a living songwriter who could pull off such a frightening subject for many artists with such authenticity and humor. Shel Silverstein would be proud.
“Neighbors” brings an optimistic sermon with a simplistic but doable solution for at least some of the crazy we’re in. It’s short, to the point, and worth pressing play on before stepping out the door.
“You’re My Honest to Goodness,” written with multi-instrumentalist Becky Buller, brings a solid declaration of love and devotion, with a dash of salt for good measure. Craig Smith on electric and acoustic guitars, Steve Hinton on pedal steel, and Dave Racine on drums add such a fun drive to this one.
The tracks are short and never overdone — another tug at the heart for those of us who love the song, for the sake of the song. Performed live, there are a million opportunities for the artist to provide a backstory, and I’m sure Lauderdale will. His gift of storytelling is such an elixir. On the record, we get to enjoy the moment, read the lyrics and hold them up to our own personal light for those places between the lines.
Closing out the album with “We Don’t See You Anymore,” the melancholy caught me by surprise. A soft-spoken intro and then Lauderdale’s baritone relaying a no-nonsense and heartfelt message to a friend. It reads like a phone call unanswered, or better yet, a handwritten letter.
Country Super Hits Volume 2 sounds like a handwritten letter, a lost art in a time of instant gratification. It arrived right on time.
