Jimmie Dale Gilmore's self-titled sophomore effort boasted a less aggressive sound than his
Joe Ely-produced debut, and that suited
Gilmore's wavering tenor and impressionistic lyrical style just fine, though the album also sounds like an attempt to blend a traditional country approach with
Gilmore's rather individualistic style. This time out,
Gilmore wrote (or co-wrote half) of the album's ten songs, while old friend
Butch Hancock ponied up two tunes of his own, and the production (by
Bruce Bromberg and
Lloyd Maines) generates a laid-back honky tonk vibe that recalls the feel of a Texas dancehall without forcing the issue. The album rescues one classic tune from the long-lost
Flatlanders album ("Dallas"), and "Deep Eddy Blues" and "Beautiful Rose" prove he had plenty of other great songs at his disposal, which marks a major improvement over the covers-heavy debut. Sometimes, however, the spunky tempo and precise accompaniment of the music seem to be working against the grain of
Gilmore's often world-weary songs, though
Jimmie Dale himself accompanies these arrangements with grace and confidence.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore is a fine album and a step up from
Fair and Square, but in retrospect it sounds most like a stepping stone on the way to his definitive recording,
After Awhile. ~ Mark Deming