Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: First Class Singer-Songwriter

I bought this record in response to seeing Jim Lauderdale perform at a small club (the Thunderbird Cafe) in Brussels, Belgium this past Spring. The songwriting, playing & technical aspects of 'Whisper' are all first class - especially on the title track - an instant classic and the first album track (which I can't rememeber the title of off the top of my head!). The melodies & hooks are memorable after the first listen and deep enough to discover nuances with each play. What is most impressive is Jim's ability to match his vocal style to the material. He can sound like Marty Stuart on one song, Randy Travis the next and then swing over to George Jones. His ability to cover a range of vocal styles equals Billy Joel in this regard but seems to leave him out of the country radio limelight (- maybe it's better in the shade!).