Jim Lauderdale & Ralph Stanley

The second duo effort from country singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale and bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley is at least as good as the first was. Consisting mainly of Lauderdale compositions, it nevertheless sounds like a classic bluegrass album of the 1950s; that’s due partly to the flawless accompaniment of the Clinch Mountain Boys, Stanley’s regular backing band, and partly to Stanley’s hair-raising voice, which many will recognize as the voice of the Ku Klux Klan leader who sang “Oh, Death” at the beginning of the lynching scene in O Brother, Where Art Thou? It’s also partly due to Lauderdale’s own songwriting chops; he is amazingly adept at writing old-sounding songs. Bluegrass purists might balk at Lauderdale’s presence, whereas modern country fans might balk at Stanley’s, but neither should hesitate. This is a deeply satisfying album by two of country music’s most distinctive voices. Visit www.dualtone.com.