Since the release of Miranda Lambert’s last album in 2011,
the bar for Music Row’s female output has been raised considerably higher. So
the challenge was set for Miranda to respond to the albums of Kacey Musgraves,
Ashley Monroe, Brandy Clark and Lambert’s own collaboration project, the Pistol
Annies. Each of these records eclipsed those of their male counterparts in 2013
and the good news is that PLATINUM is set to do likewise this year.
On her previous albums, Miranda has not shied away from a
stab at the traditional angle with covers of Gillian Welch and John Prine songs
along with some classic country style originals. Right at the heartbeat of PLATINUM
are three exceptional tracks which set a marker as to how contemporary country
music can harness the magical sound of the past. Quite whether ‘Old Shit’ and ‘Gravity is a Bitch’ will get any radio play is debatable but they’re
getting plenty of airtime in this household. The latter sees the album swing in
a jazz direction, just one of the many genres woven into PLATINUM’s fabric. One
old time number already getting UK air play by Bob Harris is the collaboration with
the Time Jumpers on a Tom T. Hall/Dixie Hall song ‘All That’s Left’. This infectious Western Swing number ideally
suits Miranda’s sassy Texas drawl and shows how well she can adapt to different
styles.
Such is the wealth of top quality material on the album, I
don’t want to dwell too much on the songs that haven’t really matched the high
standards of the majority but ‘Somethin' Bad’ really belongs on a record of her duet partner Carrie Underwood, ‘Platinum’ is a little lacklustre and ‘Too Rings Shy’ is a touch messy. The
latter is a shame as the normally brilliant writer Brandy Clark is among its
composers.
On the subject of song writing, PLATINUM is full of clever,
explicit and clear lyrics without any air of pretension. Miranda has had a hand
in writing most of the songs including a solo effort ‘Bathroom Sink’ which musically is one of the tracks to veer in a
rock direction. Miranda’s song writing is still an area for development but a
recent social media Q&A session revealed her current listening experiences
to include the outstanding young Americana singer-songwriter John Fullbright.
So she is not far away from a seriously good influence. The best lyric from the
album comes from its stand out track. ‘Too soon to be a mother and father but too
late for the alma mater’ is a line straight from a Kacey Musgraves style song
and ‘Babies Makin’ Babies’, with its
wonderful verse and chorus construction, shows Miranda can match social
commentary with ear pleasing appeal.
The lead- off single ‘Automatic’
has had plenty of press since its release and this radio friendly track
possesses a growing quality. A hint of the Dixie Chicks at their peak can be detected
in the song which reflects on a common country music theme of nostalgia. The
same topic is the subject of the Little Big Town collaboration ‘Smokin’ and Drinkin’ which like the
Carrie duet track probably will have more appeal on one of the band’s albums. The
song has a slightly languid feel to it but will at least have sufficient merit
for fans of the quartet.
Among the many high spots on the record is where Miranda
blends a little soul into her country with the super Ashley Monroe co-write ‘Holding On to You’. As you would expect
the lyrical content is top notch and you can imagine a subtle dose of brass being
added to raise the soul stakes. Ashley also contributes to the album closer, a
quintessential take on the south from the usual Sunday morning viewpoint. ‘Another Sunday in the South’ and its
listings neighbour ‘Hard Staying Sober’
are pretty much country music staple and showcase Miranda at what she does
best.
Of the remaining tracks, ‘Girls’ is a solid and safe choice to open the album, while in
contrast ‘Little Red Wagon’ sees
Miranda move into more risky territory. This track will have a tendency to
divide opinion which from my point of view has some strong rockabilly and
extremely sassy vibes but falls a little short in its chorus appeal. The final
track under scrutiny has been a tough one to analyse but ultimately ‘Priscilla’ got the nod after understanding
the sentiment behind it and putting a value on the guitar intro. Quite whether
Miranda and Blake have the same media scrutiny as the subjects of the song is
questionable but the track is well put together and would have been more
prominent on a lesser album.
The sparkling early innocent promise of Miranda Lambert’s first
two albums is starting to blossom. PLATINUM is also a major leap forward from
the two recent albums which fluctuated from outstanding to patchy in their
content. One thing certain is that this latest record will provoke debate and
scrutiny within country music circles. It seems Miranda has the blessing from
the industry to experiment and this is possibly the most refreshing aspect of
the project. PLATIMUM is an outstanding record but the good news is that the definitive
and classic album from Miranda Lambert is still to come.
