Imogen Marshall reviews Miranda Lambert’s new studio record Wildcard, revealing her belief that this might be Lambert’s best record yet.
Throughout her career, Miranda Lambert has not been one to shy away from sonic reinvention, from her most recent lengthy and introspective 2016 album ‘The Weight of These Wings‘ to the badass, alive and kicking ‘Revolution’ 2009 album, she goes into newer and braver territory with every release, creating records that mean something. This record feels like, once again, Lambert is opening up her heart and pouring its contents into every track on the album, yet unlike the somewhat meandering and ‘The Weight of These Wings,’ you are left feeling empowered and strengthened by a woman who knows herself and knows her music, perhaps better than she has ever done before. It is important that I premise this saying that up to this juncture, I have personally not been the biggest fan of Miranda Lambert’s studio records, with the exception of the notable hits like ‘Automatic’, ‘Tin Man’ and ‘Keeper of the Flame.’ This album though appears as the missing piece of the jigsaw that make the entirety of her recorded portfolio appear attainable and charming. With no shadow of a doubt, this for me is her best record yet. This new offering, Lambert’s ‘Wildcard’ is crammed with sonic and lyrical diversity and feels like the culmination of her personal journey that has been plastered across every magazine possible, arriving at a place that feels exactly right for Lambert both musically and personally.
This is the first project which partners Lambert with producer Jay Joyce, and the result is a masterpiece, tying together massive hooky and thundering tracks like ‘Way Too Pretty for Prison’ and rockier ‘Locomotive’ seamlessly with quieter tracks like ‘Settling Down’ in a way that was not always achieved in her previous albums.
The album opens with ‘White Trash,’ that reads as an anthemic introduction to ‘Wildcard’ – reading as a manifesto on the true sides of Lambert’s character, ‘I can play high class all day but some things never change.’ It grounds the album from the off in her Southern, sarcastic roots overlaid with thundering, pacy drum beat and guitars. The production, as one would expect from Joyce, is faultless. Next up, ‘Mess With My Head’ opens with a surprisingly Shania-tinged pop-rockier sounding introduction, before crashing back into her country roots. Like ‘Locomotive’ that comes later in the album, this pre-released track can not be truly appreciated as a stand-alone track, but is given full justice when falling as a part of this wider project. ‘Mess With My Head’ feels like Lambert’s musical version of a middle finger at the end of those two high-profile relationships that she has seen come and go.
Already released as a single, ‘It All Comes Out in the Wash,’ is one of my personal favourite Lambert tracks to date, full of shrewd and endearing humour, ‘If you dip your fries in your ketchup on a bumpy road… Don’t sweat it.’ This is a track built for live performances and radio, making light of heartbreak and mistakes, in a refreshingly optimistic single. This is followed up by another stand-out track from the album, ‘Settling Down.’ This single flows beautifully questioning ‘Am I settling up or settling down,’ as she details being both a ‘wild child and a homing pigeon.’ The track sums up the duality that is ever present within the album of the dual sides of Lambert’s sonic personality that flit between empowering rock and intense emotional vulnerability, and is a track that should be given the spotlight it deserves.
A surprising next note is provided in the album with ‘Holy Water,’ imbued with a polished gospel touch that act as a reminder – in case you needed it – of Lambert’s Southern roots. Although pacy, it provides a moment of reprise before storming into heavy rocking track ‘Way Too Pretty for Prison,’ where she is joined by Maren Morris to sing about not wanting to go to prison, as ‘they don’t have rhinestone ball and chains / lunch trays don’t come with chardonnay.’ It is a humorous, funky track, with Morris being a shrewd and perfect accompaniment to a track that breathes empowerment throughout. Thunderous track ‘Locomotive’ is next up, a fiery track that requires a few listens to fully experience its depths, but provides proof that Lambert is as sonically unique as they come.
Another stand-out track comes with the beautiful track ‘Bluebird.’ ‘If love keeps giving me lemons, I’ll just mix them in my drink,’ it is a track about seeing the optimistic side of life and carrying on, and is touched with the kind of ethereal magic that made Musgraves’ Golden Hour so special. Such refinement is added to the mix on ‘How Dare You Love’ that appears far more polished and beautiful than the dirty-rock sounds of ‘Locomotive,’ whereas moodier ‘Fire Escape’ provides a darker, but no less poetically stunning side to love – a story about two people falling in love on the fire escape, while fire ensues around them. The magic of Joyce comes in here with the tenderly sophisticated guitar accompaniment throughout, reminiscent of fire sirens themselves.
The tempo returns with track ‘Pretty Bitchin’ a true return to Lambert’s driving mid-tempo singalong tracks. While ‘Tequila Does’ steps up a lyrical notch. This feels like a complete return to traditional country with its gradating tempo changes, and yet it is steeped in the modern tradition of empowerment, and when the hook comes in this track is pure magic imbued with steel guitar. The tempo consistently returns with ‘Track Record,’ an incredible track, where Lambert sings about not being able to help but ‘be in love with love’ and having a track record and is an energetic choice leading into the final track of the album. ‘Dark Bars’ closes the album with a heavier track that brings the pace right back down and is the most tear-inducing moment on the album; ‘I know a thing or two about broke hearts.’ It is the ending to Lambert’s description of her current self ‘I can be reckless, / I can be desperate’ and is a stunning final touch to the album and allows Lambert to let her vocal soar to the close.
For those not yet converted to Miranda Lambert’s cause, this album should do just that. This is a robust album, full of all the sides of Lambert’s sonic and personal character, from rock to traditional country, from empowering to almost painfully vulnerable. I’m a convert.
