Artist: Miranda Lambert
Album: Postcards from Texas
Reviewer: John O’Neil
Innovation is a concept often misunderstood. In country music, too much change is seen as a betrayal of the whole concept of “three chords and the truth.” But nothing comes out of nowhere; everything is built on a foundation of things that came before. How much groundbreaking takes place is secondary to the fundamental basis of music: does it speak to me, to my heart and soul, and am I inspired to sing along?
Postcards from Texas finds Miranda Lambert in control of her considerable gifts as a singer, player, writer and mogul. There is nothing that she turns her attention to that she doesn’t excel at. The songs are steeped in Texas place names, which works here because of the fun the singer is obviously having speaking her truth. It’s serious fun too, because often the best response to the challenges that a person faces is to find humor in your circumstances, and to laugh at misfortune.
This album is a masterclass in collaboration. No less than 18 songwriters are credited on this record, with Lambert co-writing 10 of them. It all sounds consistent with the overall vision, even though the songs are diverse in content and melody. They hearken back to the classic country sound of artists like George Strait, the folky storytelling of Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, the plain spoken “tell it like it is” songs of Loretta Lynn, combined with guitar driven country-rock of the Byrds, Gram Parsons, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. She is a great singer, delivering time and time again with confidence and power. Despite the number of collaborators, the overall sound is hers. The hooks are huge, and memorable. The guitar playing is great, not overbearing or flashy, just perfect for the song. Nothing is out of place, and there is not a bad song on the record. And there are clever moments of wordplay that could devolve into gimmickry in less-capable hands (“Armadillo,” “Looking Back on Luckenbach,” “Alimony”) that instead hearken back to the great story songs of classic country. And there are great stories contained here.
Now in her forties, Miranda Lambert seems as driven as ever. Given the number of enterprises she has taken on outside of music, both charitable and commercial, it makes her music even more remarkable, because she delivers on every promise. Her mantra, which has been constant since before she signed her first record deal, is, “If it’s a maybe, it’s a no.” (reference, pg 57 “Her Country” by Marissa R. Moss) – anything that isn’t true to her Texas country roots. It’s no small thing to remain true to yourself, going against the grain while simultaneously honoring the things that make your sound what it is. She is real, and anything that is not real to her is not something she will do. I have no reason to believe that will ever change. And I will always listen to her records, as long as she wants to make them.