Veteran Canadian country picker and songwriter Nudie returns with a sophomore solo release, Remember This. Nudie is contemporary country music written, recorded and performed as an homage to classic country — think Daniel Romano or Jonny Fritz — and he accomplishes the task admirably. His songwriting is strong throughout the album, the arrangements tasteful and the performances tight. “Sex Kisses” would get the dust up off most honky tonk dance floors. “Pawn Shop” is a clever down and outer, while the title track has all the makings for a tear-in-your-beer ballad. What Remember This lacks, though, is the flash of a spark to ignite the whole package, to burn it into the listener’s memory. Nudie comes dang close with this one, but then again this ain’t horseshoes we’re playing, here. (Independent, nudiemusic.com) Sheldon Birnie