Miranda Lambert - Four The Record

Miranda Lambert has been a favorite of mine since she was a runner-up on season one of Nashville Star. Obviously she was best the show had to offer and has continued to prove it since her debut presentation. The thing that makes Miranda a standout is that she's like nobody else out today. She doesn't make typical sounding Nashville records and she's a little gritty and dirty while being stunning and charmingly elegant all at the same time. The most important factor of Miranda Lambert is she's a songwriter which gives her tons more credibility than any of her peers who sing professionally written material nearly all the time. On her new album she opens with a nice country tune and then follows it up with a groovy little vaudevillian inspired pop country tune with vocal effects in place adding to her grit.

When the inevitable Nashville pro's clean her up enough she still has all the piss and vinegar we've come to love and spews out a nasty little number "Fastest Girl In Town" which is probably about as honest she's ever been on record. The torch song "Safe" is obscured with loose production and a laid back groove that allows her snarl to soften enough to be emotional without being all gooey and sappy. Country artists like this don't really exist in the mainstream market much and never have when it comes to Nashville country stars. Miranda Lambert is giving the genre credibility which is sorely lacks when your garbage pop stars like Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum and so forth running awful songs up the charts on a consistent basis. Proving that marketing and payola can make any no talent hack a star (Underwood can sing admittedly but chooses terrible songs).

When a pure country song like "Dear Diamond" plays through it grabs you and doesn't let go. That's partly her voice and the quality songwriting that makes the song so wonderfully satisfying. I would have been satisfied with this album after hearing "Same Old You" which is now at this point one of the my favorite songs of 2011. I'd have to even add it to my all-time favorites list because I wanted to sing along to it from the 20 second mark. This is one of those tunes that just grabs me and stays with me forever. I've been lucky to enjoy some pretty great music in my life and this song takes me to a place very few have. Now this album is fifteen tracks deep and usually that is a sign of filler material but honestly I can't find anything to complain about on this record. It is one of them special albums that is the sum of its parts nothing can be taken away to make it better, it would only make it worse because it's all so bloody good. There is a small section in the second half that slows it way down but great music is to be had even when she conforms for the Nashville process.

"Oklahoma Sky" is spectacular and can't be missed the song is just glorious and beautiful. She closes the album with "Hurts To Think" which is an obvious candidate for single. Another good old girl saucy tune that I'd love to experience her singing live in concert. I believe it would be a little more aggressive and nasty bringing out her feisty side a little more. A wicked country album that doesn't sellout or disappoint ever, unlike much of the pop music that is running around on the country charts in the 2000's.