this is a new gem from one of the ambassadors of the americana movement. this is the 29th album of his career, with previous dabbles in numerous genres, including bluegrass, classic and contemporary country, jam bands and more. he has also made a living writing top hits for george strait, patty loveless, the dixie chicks, vince gill and blake shelton, plus many others.

this has been a pet project of his that he has been working on for quite a while. it was actually recorded over four years ago, but he kept it in the can as he either didn’t feel it was the right time to release it, or he was working on other projects (he has released seven records since recording these sessions). he was originally inspired for the concept of this album by wanting to pay tribute to the beatles, which were a huge early influence on him. the sessions were recorded in two takes in london’s goldtop studios, utilizing nick lowe’s longtime producer and nick’s travelling band.

although much of the write ups and interviews focus on the pop stylings of the beatles in many of the songs, i seem to hear more of the american musicians that influenced the band from liverpool. ‘no right way to be wrong’ is a jaunty little ditty that sounds more like ray charles. ‘different kind of groove this time’ has an early motown feel, specifically marvin gaye. my favorite might be ‘if i can’t resist’. all of it is elegantly and precisely played, and jim ties it all together with his southern drawl, at times either sounding a bit like willie but also like his good friend buddy miller.

all in all a vastly enjoyable album, one that hopefully gets him more of the recognition that he so rightly deserves.