The 2004 compilation Don’t Look For A Heartache pulls together the best songs from Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s first two solo albums, 1988’s Fair and Square and 1989’s Jimmie Dale Gilmore, both recorded for Hightone. These songs were created after a long hiatus from recording, during which time Gilmore studied metaphysics at an ashram in Denver, Colorado. When he resumed performing in Austin in the 1980s the concerts were casual and these recordings follow that mood. With its carefree mix of old songs, new songs, and straightforward renditions of blues and country, Don’t Look For A Heartache resembles a set list from one of Gilmore’s Austin shows in the 1980s. The music is effortless and unpretentious, but always generous. Gilmore’s voice at first appears uncertain and fragile, but every time he sings it feels as if someone has just placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder. These recordings represent an important window in Gilmore’s career, but even casual listeners will be moved by “Fair & Square,” “Rain Just Falls” and “When the Nights Are Cold.”