You hear a certain piece of music for the first time at a particular spot in life and it hits you hard, harder than it would have at another time. Braver Newer World is one disk that I discovered at just the right time, so it will always stick with me in a special way, my thoughts endlessly creating an ally out of this soulful, spiritual, sad and encouraging cd.

Headed For a Fall is blissful, as is Come Fly Away and There She Goes, among others. Though you'll find this cd in the country music section and it does sound country-ish, it sounds that way while going at its own independent pace and will leave you thinking this is not, by categorical standards, country music. It's extremely spiritual and while reflective, it's also looking ahead, especailly on Outside the Lines, one of my favorites of Jimmie Dale Gilmore's. It's got a raucous beat, which surprises the listener to death because its speed is a total departure from the rest of the album. And due to it being the last track, it becomes clear that as healthy as it is to stay in tune with what's been, it's also good to keep on and look forward to what's ahead, and it just may be that you will have to create what it is that is ahead for you in life.

It's weird to think of this cd being recorded in a studio, where there are a lot of chords and technical equipment. The whole thing is so from the heart and spirit, and feels otherworldly, that when I think of the recording process, I can't help but imagine that the musicians brought all their equipment to wherever one of their favorite spots is, whether that be an oceanside beach resort, a plot of grass along a lonely West Texas highway, or on the street corner next to their favorite magazine store. Just wherever it is that such raw spiritual authenticity could be mustered up.

Highly recommended.

Don't ordinarily care much for country; overworked licks, cliched lyrics, ersatz humanity with little real soul (bluegrass, now that's another story). But I got a kick out of watching JDG with the Flatlanders on Austin City Limits so not knowing which album to buy, I went with this because I loved T-Bone Burnett's production on the Roy Orbison Black and White concert and "Oh Brother" soundtrack, and, frankly, because it was so cheap. Boy did I get lucky! I haven't gotten goose flesh from a popular music CD in many years. The quirky instrumentation, the original lyrics, and that VOICE all come together to create a genuinely moving work of art. I suspect the negative reviews come from an expectation of a more standard country music experience. This transcends not only the country genre, it transcends the usual music listening experience.

While Jimmy comes from a more traditional country music background, this release was experimentation of sorts for him. The tunes are country, no doubt about it, it's just that producer T-Bone added some synth sounding instrumentation that give some songs a spacey feel to them. After a couple of listens, I realized how good this disc really is. JDG writes lovely music, but with this one, you just have to be patient and keep an open mind. All in all, a very good disc.

I love Jimmie Dale Gilmore. I love "Spinning around the Sun" and "Jimmie Dale Gilmore" and "One Endless Night" but this cd is lousy. My friends make fun of his voice and I always defend him but on this cd he really sings goofy. When he sings "round and round and round and round" or "we'll fly, and fly, and fly, and fly" I can't keep a straight face. I couldn't give it 1 star because that is reserved for lousy pop music or pop country music. I highly recommend his new record "One Endless Night".

a beautiful, ambitious album...it's too bad that some fans want their heros to crank out the same old same old...Jimmie takes us where he wants to go...it's just a matter of opening yourself up to something different and going along for the ride...5 Stars! Thanks Jimmie, I miss Texas...