About a year ago, I praised Jim Lauderdale for his 33rd studio album, When Carolina Comes Home Again. You can’t name it a surprise that the active country singer-songwriter is back in the virtual record stores worldwide – his 34th album is called Hope and has been released on 30th July 2021.
Jim Lauderdale – About The Artist
Jim Lauderdale is a 1957-born North Carolina artist. I gave quite a lot of bio in my review of When Carolina Comes Home Again, so that I refer to this posting.
Jim Lauderdale – Hope – Track by Track
The thirteen track album lasts 45 minutes.
1. The Opportunity to Help Somebody Through It
Jim Lauderdale’s 2021 edition starts which a nice vibe and a lot of power. The Opportunity to Help Somebody Through It feels like a Lauderdale track for the dancefloor. Hard to imagine – but really a cool opener.
2. Sister Horizon
A very nice vibe again on the second track – this time, there is no pop touch, but therefore a stronger bluegrass and traditional sound style. Really nice listen!
3. The Brighter Side of Lonely
The Brighter Side of Lonely might not be that present at first sight, but the more I listened to this third track of the album, the more I loved it. Very dramatic and enjoyable to listen.
4. Mushrooms Are Growing After the Rain
Nice metaphor, ain’t it? I had to think about a colleague at work while listening to the song. He hates mushrooms of all kinds. If he would like the message of this song? Likely not – which is a shame. The dark, at most mid-tempo style of the song is definitely one of the most special recordings on Hope.
5. Memory
Memory is a lovely, but also very touching ballad.
I’m glad to live another day
Your memory helps to pave the way
Softens the pain that lives in you
As much as anything could do
A very central and memorable track on this album.
6. Breathe Real Slow
After this intense moment, a powerful track would just not fit and feel right – thus, I am really thankful to Lauderdale to add another slower track. This time, the verses almost feels like him telling a story to the listen. Breathe Real Slow is almost a bit of meditative.
7. Brave One
Jim Lauderdale surprises me at multiple points of the album. Brave One is one of these songs. Very atmospheric, very rocking, but also a bit of whiny. The latter is not meant negatively in any way, I just enjoy how he is combining very different kinds of moods in one song.
8. Don’t You Dream Anymore?
I cannot name this song my favorite one – Memory is just too good. But Don’t You Dream Anymore? has a very special touch, which makes it very touching and memorable. Great track.
9. We Fade in We Fade Out
We Fade In We Fade Out is coming with a very dramatic mood again. Not on the top of my list, though. It is okay to me – or: other tracks in here are simply that much better. The guitar performance in the bridge is really cool, though.
10. It’s Almost More Than All the Joy
The tenth track is a very gentle one. Ballad feeling on Jim Lauderdale’s Hope, who does a beautiful performance on the microphone in this song.
11. Here’s to Hoping
Is this some sort of title track of the album? Not only due to the brass background sounds, the song spreads a touch of swing and a lot of energy. A song which makes me smile.
12. When Searching for Answers
The second half of the album has a couple of slower and more intimate moment. When Searching for Answers is a magic moment of the album. Very reduced sound, a bit of dramatic. Cool.
13. Joyful Noise
This song is indeed joyful – an uptempo country track with a traditional style and marching rhythm. Like a Wild West High Speed Train. At least in Jim Lauderdale’s world. Nice finish.
Jim Lauderdale – Hope – Spotify
Here is Hope on Spotify:
Jim Lauderdale – Hope – My View
When Carolina Comes Home Again barely missed the Top Pick! rating – Hope is just the small deciding notch better. Jim Lauderdale comes such a nice, wide spread of songs. Some of the tracks are really very positive listens to me – Hope is just very catchy and a great listen.
2021 Country Music Reviews
Here are all my 2021 published Media Reviews related to country music:

Nick Walker – It’s All South From Here EP

Lucinda Williams – Have Yourself A Rockin’ Little Christmas (Lu’s Jukebox Vol. 5)

Wade Bowen – Where Phones Don’t Work EP

Alena Neubert – A Life That’s Good

Armanda Shires – For Christmas

Jason Aldean – Macon

Billy Bragg – The Million Things That Never Happened

Dennis Adamus – Right For You

Brett Eldredge – Mr. Christmas

Tenille Arts – Girl To Girl

SixForty1 – Started Right Here EP

Det Haggard – Teamwork 2.0

Ryan Hurd – Pelago

Cassadee Pope – Thrive

Toby Keith – Peso In My Pocket

Josh Turner – King Size Manger

Crystal Leigh – Trading Skylines EP

Jesse Cole – SAND (Some Are Never Done)

Miko Marks & The Resurrectors – Race Records EP

Brandi Carlile – In These Silent Days

Logan Mize – Welcome To Prairieville

Billy Strings – Renewal

Mickey Guyton – Remember Her Name

Taylor McCall – Black Powder Soul

Charley Crockett – Music City USA

Peter Maffay – So Weit

Mitchell Tenpenny – Midtown Diaries EP

Riddy Arman – Riddy Arman

Ashland Craft – Travelin’ Kind

King Calaway – Midnight EP

Ashley Cooke – Already Drank That Beer Side A

Kalie Shorr – I Got Here By Accident EP

Jayne Denham – Wanted

Dan + Shay – Good Things

Clare Dunn – In This Kind Of Light EP

Emily Rose – Wings EP

Chris Young – Famous Friends

Laci Kaye Booth – Laci Kaye Booth

Leah Blevins – First Time Feeling

Son Volt – Electro Melodier

Ryan Kinder – Room To Dream

Clay Walker – Texas To Tennessee

Los Lobos – Native Sons

Jolina Carl – Mexican Overdrive

Rodney Crowell – Triage

Charlie Worsham – Sugarcane EP

Alee – Feels Like This

Midland – The Last Resort EP

Lucinda Williams – Lu’s Jukebox Vol. 2 – Southern Soul: From Memphis To Muscle Shoals

Callie Twisselman – Closure EP

Tigirlily – Tigirlily EP

The Flatlanders – Treasure Of Love

Lauren Jenkins – Miles On Me, Part 1 EP

The Wallflowers – Exit Wounds

LANCO – Honky-Tonk Hippies EP

Riley Green – Behind The Bar EP

Brent Moyer – Song Rider

The Heels – I Am

Vincent Neil Emerson – Vincent Neil Emerson

Gary Allan – Ruthless

Meghan Patrick – Heart On My Glass

Amythyst Kiah – Wary + Strange

pez – All Lowercase EP

Richie Necker – New Songs and Untold Stories

Kylie Morgan – Love, Kylie EP

Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real – A Few Stars Apart

Walker Hayes – Country Stuff EP

Brett Young – Weekends Look A Little Different These Days

Andrew Jannakos – Gone Too Soon EP

Black River Delta – Shakin’

Brynn Cartelli – Based On A True Story EP

Southerland – Boot Up EP

Lori Rayne – 1926 EP

Blackberry Smoke – You Hear Georgia

John Hiatt With The Jerry Douglas Band – Leftover Feelings

Alexander Ludwig – Alexander Ludwig EP

Jordan Davis – Buy Dirt EP

Blake Shelton – Body Laguage

Oliver Wood – Always Smilin’

Jesse Keith Whitley – Breakin’ Ground

Dillon Carmichael – Hot Beer EP

Alan Jackson – Where Have You Gone

The Steel Woods – All Of Your Stones

Emma Moore – the table EP

Travis Tritt – Set In Stone

Matt Castillo – How The River Flows EP

Thomas Rhett – Country Again: Side A

Priscilla Block – Priscilla Block EP

Ronnie Milsap – A Better Word For Love

Todd Snider – First Agnostic Church of Hope And Wonder

Elvie Shane – County Roads EP

Adam Douglas – Better Angels

Justin Moore – Straight Outta The Country

Carver Louis – Take Off EP

Eric Church – Soul

Eric Church – &

Eric Church – Heart

Brett Kissel – What Is Life?

Charlotte Young – Coffee and Conversations EP

Fancy Hagood – Southern Curiosity

Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band – Dance Songs For The Hard Times

Jon Randall – Neon Texas EP

Canaan Smith – High Country Sound

Leslie Jordan – Company’s Comin’

Truck Stop – Liebe, Lust und Laster

Tyler Braden – What Do They Know EP

Carrie Underwood – My Savior

Esther Rose – How Many Times

Sara Watkins – Under The Pepper Tree

Timo Scharf – Everything Ever Always Is All Forgotten EP

Kora Naughton – Nineteen

Midland – The Sonic Ranch

Loretta Lynn – Still Woman Enough

Morgan Wade – Reckless

Joey Hendricks – Between The Clouds EP

Alyssa Trahan – Baby Blues & Stilettos

Christina Taylor – Covers Vol. 1 EP

Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird – These 13

Track 45 – Big Dreams EP

Adam Warner – Big Storm

Kaylee Bell – The Red EP (EP)

Hayden Joseph – Different

Willie Nelson – That’s Life

Adam Hambrick – The Flipsides EP

Jess Moskaluke – The Demos

Carly Pearce – 29 EP

Jack McBannon – True Stories

Lainey Wilson – Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’

Callista Clark – Real To Me EP

Haley Mae Campbell – Growing Up EP

Tobacco Rd Band – Worth Fighting For

Florida Georgia Line – Life Rolls On

Dustin Bird – Unscripted

Colton Chapman – Can’t Hide The Truth EP

Alex Hall – Six Strings EP

Ben Ransom – Brave New World

Daniel Holmes – Dead End Town

Lucero – When You Found Me

Jake Hoot – Love Out Of Time EP

Langhorne Slim – Strawberry Mansion

Logan Mize – Still That Kid

Matt Wynn – Matt Wynn EP

Tebey – The Good Ones

Jimmy Weber – Black & Blue Heart

Willie Jones – Right Now

Chelsea Berman – Can You Just Not EP

Kerri Watt – Neptune’s Daughter

Petric – Flashbacks

Devin Dawson – The Pink Slip EP

Whitney Duncan – Heartbreaker EP

Morgan Wallen – Dangerous – The Double Album

Colby Keeling – Catch Me If You Can EP

Aaron Watson – American Soul

Barry Gibb & Friends – Greenfields – The Gibb Brothers’ Songbook Vol. 1

Tanner Sparks – Living A Nightmare
“Rides on Rail” Postings
Here is everything about trains, trams and other rail vehicles:

SkyTrain Dusseldorf Airport

Riding the Heathrow Pod

Southern Florida Regional Train Rides with Tri-Rail

Great Western Railway First Class Lounge London Paddington

Food I Had Onboard IX (Mid-May 2023 til June 2023)

Wuppertaler Schwebebahn (Wuppertal Suspension Railroad)

Heathrow Express – The Fastest Rail to the City (Business First and Express Class)

Northern Trains Class 331/0 from Manchester Airport to Blackpool North

Travel all Germany for 49 EUR a Month? The New Deutschland Ticket

Riding the Heidelberg Funiculars

Dutch Railway Museum Utrecht

German Rail (Deutsche Bahn) Lounge Hamburg – Premium Area

Union Pearson Express Toronto – The Airport Express Rail

Thumb Up or Down? A Personal View on my Loyalty Program Portfolio

Food I Had Onboard VII (mid-February 2023 til March 2023)

Cyprus Railways Museum

Five Years of Flyctory.com – My 20 Most Popular Travel Posts (so far…)

Riding the TransPennine Express Nova 2 / CAF Civity First Class

Food I Had Onboard VI (December 2022 til mid-February 2023)

German Rail (Deutsche Bahn) Premium Lounge Berlin Main Station

All German States (and the Eleven Biggest Cities) on one Rail Ticket – Part 2

All German States (and the eleven biggest Cities) on one Rail Ticket – Part 1

Riding the TECO Line Streetcar in Tampa

Brightline Premium Lounge West Palm Beach

Flyctory.com Best Ones 2022

ICE 3neo High-Speed Rail First Class (Pictured Story)

Riding Flixtrain trains in Germany

German Rail Museum (DB Museum) Nuremberg

High-Speed Train Rides in Florida with Brightline

Dutch Open Air Museum Arnhem (Openluchtmuseum)

Brightline Premium Lounge Miami

Food I Had Onboard IV (May 2022 til August 2022)

Riding the Kansas City Streetcar

Traveling Avanti West Coast Railways Pendolino First and Standard Premium Class

Riding the WeGo Star – Nashville’s only Mass Transit

Avanti First Class Train Station Lounge London Euston Station

Halton County Radial Railway / Streetcar Museum

From Heathrow Airport to London with the Elizabeth Line

Riding the Stadler FLIRT Train of Swiss Südostbahn (IR 26 Treno Gottardo)

Food I Had Onboard II (Nov 21 til Mar 2022)

DB Lounge (German Rail Lounge) Stuttgart

Exploring Munich With Tram Line 19

Stuttgart Funicular (“Standseilbahn”)

Lokwelt Freilassing

Riding the Berlin-Warszawa Express Train (EC 40 to 48)

Flyctory.com Best Ones 2021

The Berlin Tränenpalast (“Palace of Tears”)

Riding The Malpensa Express

Schlossbergbahn Graz

VIA Rail Business Class Train Ride from Ottawa to Toronto

Riding the Express InterCity Premium (EIP) in Poland

Graz Fairy Tale Train (Grazer Märchenbahn)

German Rail Lounge / DB Lounge Frankfurt Airport (FRA)

The Venice / Mestre Tramway – The Alternative Connection to the Lagoon?

My Full Tour With The Palm Monorail (Dubai)

The Eschede Derailment Memorial

Tranvia de Soller – The Very Special Tram on Mallorca

Flyctory.com Best Ones 2020

Riding Italo Rail Club Executive Class

The train to Hogwarts? King’s Cross, Platform 9 3/4 (Pictured Story)

FRECCIALounge Milan

Frecciarossa 1000 Executive Class

ALPEN-SYLT Nachtexpress – A New Night Train Crossing Germany

ECE 451 – The Non-Stop Train from Frankfurt To Milan

Nightjet Night Train – Single Deluxe Class

Four Countries, Four Trains – A Trip on Tracks (Day 4, 10th August 2020)

Four Countries, Four Trains – A Trip on Tracks (Day 2, 8th August 2020)

Four Countries, Four Trains – A Trip on Tracks (Day 1, 7th August 2020)

Traveling Through Germany at Covid-19 Times – A special Trip Review

Flyctory.com Best Ones 2019

Pittsburgh Light Rail – It’s (partially) for free!

Mount Washington and the Pittsburgh Inclines

Riding the Arlanda Express

Madrid Railway Museum

Lookout Mountain Incline Railway (Chattanooga, TN)

Platform 0 Chamberí – A Madrid Metro Ghost Station

Bergisch Historic Trams Wuppertal

The only Rail Track on Canary Islands
