Miranda is just about the only artist to blossom from the reality show Nashville Star and she didn't even win the thing. Her second album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is where she really came into her own. Miranda wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album and there's not a bad one in the bunch. The Washington Post agreed with me, saying it was one of the top ten albums of 2007. Her single "Gunpowder and Lead" was just nominated as Song of the Year at the Academy of Country Music awards and it deserves to win. This single really showcases that she's the "bad girl" of country music. I mean, where else (but in country music) would you hear the lines "I'm goin' home, gonna load my shotgun / Wait by the door and light a cigarette"? I mean, come on...classy stuff, right? I joke, but this is (and this is totally embarrassing to admit this) probably my favorite song of the aughts ('00s). Take a listen and (dis)agree with me. Unfortunately, no official music video was created for this one, so you'll just have to listen to the song below, if you so desire.
Gunpowder & Lead - Miranda Lambert
A little mellower side of Ms. Lambert can be seen in "Famous in a Small Town" below.
The whole Crazy Ex-Girlfriend cd is stellar. I eagerly look forward to Miranda's next album (it's been nearly two years...anxiously waiting here...).
Aww, you mentioned me in your blog!! and you are right, im not a fan. try some taylor swift or sugarland or carrie underwood. you may actually enjoy it.
ReplyDeletei'm right there with you on Carrie Underwood, but I can't stand Taylor Swift when she sings live (I don't mind her when her voice is recorded) and I can only take Sugarland in small doses (that twangy thing that I mentioned in the post really applies to lead singer Jennifer Nettles).
ReplyDeleteI don't know why I like Miranda Lambert...she really should be too country for my tastes, but for some reason, she's probably my favorite female country singer. Maybe the one album was a fluke and I won't like anything else?
Jeff
ReplyDeleteI, of course, am right on line with most of your country picks, as I'm the one that basically introduced you to country music. Taylor Swift is brutal live, but her singles find a way to get stuck in your head and you're not sure why. They're not great songs, but they are catchy. Gotta give her credit for that.
I think I have a little more twang tolerance than you, but I can't take too much sugarland at a given time either.
You should try to find Miranda Lambert's first cd though. I've never actually listened to all of it, but I think I remember that some of the singles were pretty good.