Onward Through It All

Jim Lauderdale keeps a busy schedule. In addition to writing hits for George Strait, Patty Loveless, and Mark Chesnutt, he's toured as a backing singer and guitarist with Lucinda Williams while continuing to appear with his own band. Onward Through It All, his sixth album, effects the immensely satisfying synthesis of country, rock, and pop styles that has made Lauderdale one of the most intriguing artists of the 1990s. Whether with the barely updated Buck Owens-style stomp of "You Just Know," the open-road spirituality of "Trust (Guiding Star)," or the moody, midtempo "What I Want You to Say," Onward makes another strong case for Lauderdale. --Rickey Wright