miranda lambert

So chuck you'd rate them Crazy Ex-Girlfriend >>> Kerosene >>> Revolution ?

Probably. But really, the first two run about even for me; "Kerosene" itself is by far my favorite song by her, though the second album is slightly more consistent. Both made my top 10s the year they came out.

(Actually, Crazy Ex Girlfriend was my #7 album of 2007, and I'm pretty sure Kerosene was my #2 or 3 of 2005, though I'd have to dig out the list to make sure. It's possible 2007 had tougher competition though, who knows.)

After a couple of days spinning this it feels almost equal to the two others. I think 'Kerosene' is the prettiest and 'Ex-GF' the spiciest, and I take them both as different sides to her and wouldn't want to duel them. This is just so rich, though, I love the feel of her voice and the overall production.

Why was I crossing my fingers when I first put this on? Two excellent albums, can she keep it going? And she does. I feel the same with Brad Paisley's albums. This will end up in my Top 10 albums of the year, along with Paisley. It's funny, she's had only 1 Top 10 single on the Billboard Country charts (#7 "Gunpowder and Lead") but she's the most critically acclaimed female Country singer around.

My favorite tracks, fwiw (though definitely not in this order): "White Liar," "Only Prettier," "Me And Your Cigarettes," "The The Way The World Goes 'Round," "Time To Get A Gun." Pretty sure that none of these come anywhere near my favorite tracks on the first two albums, though.

I'm guessing the people who like the new album more than me also don't think it blands out toward the end (i.e., the last four tracks)? Curious what people hear in those, and in "Makin' Plans," which I also have basically no use for (at least not yet). Also think "Dead Flowers" is probably Miranda's worst (well, most mediocre) single ever.

I feel that way about "White Liar." It does tail off towards the end, but albums with more than twelve songs are, according to the Soto Book of Common Law, guilty until proven innocent. I'm also bored of her gun schtick.

To me, it's all about that middle part with the two-minute rockers: "Me and Your Cigarette," "Maintain the Pain," "Airstream Song."

"Maintain The Pain" is a little too grunge-draggy for me, I think, and "Airstream Song" a little too cutesy. Like them both okay, though, and I could change my mind. Do agree that the guns are getting old, but then again maybe she sticks with them because that's what she's good at.

I'm looking forward to hearing this.

Xgau in his new CG; I won't link to the MSN site, since whenever I go there I get virus alert messages:

Miranda Lambert: 'Revolution' (Columbia)
Grade: A MINUS

Of course she's quieting down as she grows up, plus covering her bases, so after half a dozen winners she levels off into a nine- song sequence that begins lame with "Makin' Plans," ends lame with "Virginia Bluebelle," and strides along quite nicely in between. And since growing up also means learning to hit your target without discharging your weapon, the grinning "Only Prettier" and the killer metaphor "Me and Your Cigarettes" establish a welcome lightness. In case you had any doubts, Lambert asserts her distance from Music Row by covering John Prine, Julie Miller, and Fred Eaglesmith, the last of whom buys her a gun. Which I guess is how it comes to pass that, in the one that she wrote with her squeeze, the girl catches the boy in bed with some other her and shoots that sinner dead.

Yeah, an A- is about right.

Yeah. Quite like this, although it does peter off towards the very end. The two minute blasts in the middle are the highlight (Me & Your Cigarettes and Airstream Song especially). Particularly like the Eaglesmith cover and Only Prettier for the ways they push my buttons and aggravate my oversensitive political dog whistle ears. Only Prettier is the first time I feel like the target of Miranda's evisceration and it stings.

This woman is a miracle of deliciousness!

Particularly like the Eaglesmith cover and Only Prettier for the ways they push my buttons

as an eaglesmith fan i think it'd be a mistake to hear that song as exactly pro-gun. it's really about a mostly futile reaction to powerlessness. "time to put something between me and the sun." (plus, it's funny.)

Her voice does a good job of mediating too.

Lambert asserts her distance from Music Row by covering John Prine, Julie Miller, and Fred Eaglesmith

Not sure I buy this, btw. Toby Keith's covered Eaglesmith and Paul Thorn before; Gary Allan's covered Todd Snider. And I'd be surprised if Miranda is the first person to cover Prine or Miller. So it's not as unheard-of a practice on Music Row as Xgau seems to imply. Nasvhille likes good songs, and singers often go outside the mainstream looking for them.

I do agree a lot of the album has a certain "alt-country" (whatever that means anymore) feel, though (and said so in my Spin review.)

George Strait had a country #1 with Prine's "I Just Want to Dance with You" in 1998.

btw I love Revolution but haven't yet gotten my thoughts in order about it.

Hell, didn't John Mellencamp in his Coog days co-write a song with Prine? (Coog's a roots-rocker too, but still, he was a pop star then)

Yeah, that sounds kinda familiar...

Anyway, it might be worth noting that, on her previous album, Miranda covered Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin, and Carlene Carter, who all share her gender.

Oh, the co-write is "Jackie O" (presumably no relation to "Jackie Brown").

Frank Kogan ponders the new album here:

http://koganbot.livejournal.com/173421.html

I've never heard Fred Eaglesmith. Have heard <a href="http://www.myspace.com/ashleymonroemusic";>Ashley Monroe</a>, however (co-writer of "Me And Your Cigarettes"), whose one album I like more than this one.

Let's try that again:

I've never heard Fred Eaglesmith. Have heard Ashley Monroe, however (co-writer of "Me And Your Cigarettes"), whose one album I like more than this one.

after just two listens, i think i lurve this album! (it does kinda sag 'round the midriff tho, tru.)

The Eaglesmith version of "Time To Get A Gun" is up on this MySpace tribute site.

Toby Keith's covered Eaglesmith and Paul Thorn before; Gary Allan's covered Todd Snider.

Well, that doesn't mean that she's not distancing herself from Music Row by covering Prine, Miller, and Eaglesmith, but the way she makes those songs sound sure doesn't distance her from Music Row. This is another Miranda Lambert album, and she's a viable commodity sounding the way she does.

(I way prefer Miranda's "Gun" to Eaglesmith's, but that's on first listen, so this judgment might come from my prejudices rather than my ears. But my ears themselves have certain druthers and prejudices. Ruefully evocative blues mumbles don't evoke for me. But it's a fine song, and his version does have a kick.)

man, i'm a real sucker for songs like "The House That Built Me." loving this album so far.

LOVINg this album on one listen - though none of my immediate favourites have been mentioned: "heart like mine", "sin for a sin", "somewhere trouble don't go"

WKIW Miranda, totally. Not sure if this has the instant 'omg' factor of Crazy Ex Girlfriend but I'm enjoying it nonetheless.

I like it (the new one)! Amazing. I guess I need to find a way to give more country a chance (at least country with this much rock and this much 70s top 40 in it).

"White Liar" and "Only Prettier": both freakin' strong songwriting. (I hear part of "Only Prettier" as something I'd expect from XTC, minus the lyrics.)

We don't have to like each other but it's sure fun too pretend

Can't relate to this at all, but I'm about as Southern as Lou Reed.

She just sang "White Liar" on the CMA Awards a few minutes ago. Decent enough, though not overwhelming.

has anyone seen her live? she's playing a big arena show here, considering going...

Thoughts on last night's victories?

She was in fine voice singing "Coal Miner's Daughter."

I forgot that was on. Wonder if I can find the performaces on youtube?

3 CMA's on her 27th birthday, and she had 2 of the nominations for song of the year. Her "House that Built Me" beat out Sugarland "Need me Now." Was that not country enough?

yay

i've been really, really feeling the first single from miranda lambert's girl group (!) pistol annies recently

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOKtbJfNLFk&ob=av2e

it's a slow burner but the lyrics are so great, and when miranda's voice comes in like paint stripper...yesssss!

Yeah, I heard that song last night and really liked it. Enough to click over to iTunes to purchase it right away. But then I balked when I saw it was $11.99 for barely half an hour of music. Really I know Miranda is getting popular, but no reason to price the entire album at hit single $1.29 pricing.

A friend sent this a couple of weeks ago; I may like it more than "Baggage Claim."

oh the whole album is out now? awesome. learned by chance that a whole sunny sweeney album has emerged too

awesome

that Sunny Sweeney album is like 1/2 her EP from last year, but at least there's some new songs too. Haven't listened to it yet, or the Pistol Annies record, but yeah "Hell on Heels" is a lot better than "Baggage Claim"

My girlfriend is all about this. (She was still surprised when I mentioned I had a copy of Revolution around, which I did.)

that Sunny Sweeney album is like 1/2 her EP from last year, but at least there's some new songs too

yeah i've just glanced at the track listing - this is okay, i can (probably) now vote for the album in EOY lists instead of dithering over what to count a 5-track EP as

at the very least that EP was totally great

Marfa, duh

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
(Interstate Gospel)
Platinum
(Hell On Heels)
Revolution
The Weight of These Wings
(Annie Up)
Palomino
Kerosene
Postcards from Texas
Marfa Tapes
Four the Record
Wildcard

Strongest overall catalogue released in my lifetime; even her worst album is a solid *** and would be a career record from a non-zero number of her peers.

The decade's best albums artist.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
(Interstate Gospel)

otm

I didn't even rank Pistol Annies.

Based on my desire to listen to them (if we're assessing artistic merit, Kerosene shifts down a few places):

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Kerosene
The Weight of These Wings
Platinum
Wildcard
Revolution
Palomino
Four the Record
Postcards From Texas

Hell on Heels
Interstate Gospel
Annie Up
The Xmas Record

miranda co-wrote the lovely new ella langley single "choosin texas"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLOheGDwD_0

That's a very nice tune. Love the bridge in particular. Thanks for posting.

"he always loved 'amarillo by morning' / i should have taken that as a warning" is a great lyric

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14e-s62t5wM

Hmmm, the strings and instrumental break sure are nice but not sure country disco suits her as well as country funk did. Feels like a genre exercise without much to say. Also why do I feel so awkward watching this video?

ha, just got the press release

love everything about it, just wish they had bothered to write a song

The song seems like a Kacey Musgraves parody.

Ashley Monroe and Brandy Clark got there first.

I get reflexively suspicious when rock bands go new wave this century, as I do with country artists going urban cowboy

those are some hilariously bad lyrics please tell me it was written by AI

It’s fun to listen to
it’s ok that it’s sorta silly fluff given what she’s going for?- she also did that duet with Stapleton not long ago that felt sorta Crisco adjacent, or at least I think she was maybe laying groundwork for something like this

always wanted to see the phrase 'Crisco-adjacent.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PahfWmdPpAo

This is the one she did w Stapleton “A Song To Sing”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVAi2PSryp0

i actually don't really mind the tune, i just think the disco strings feel so perfunctory, like you can almost see them being dragged and dropped into the song. i said this in the kacey musgraves thread but "rhinestoned" from her new album, which uses some tempo to hint at the dancefloor w/o going the saccharine disco route so explicitly, is a much better approach to this kind of song

Abbie Callahan, who released a pretty great debut album last year, dropped this country ABBA cover not long ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nyn4H74VNNU

Which makes me want a "Hung Up" remix using that backing track for its main sample, obvs.