Crazy Ex-girlfriend

Miranda Lambert's "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" is an exceptional sophomore release and refreshing change from much of the county music that is on the radio today. Most of the album has the same feel as her debut album, Kerosene and Lambert's vocal range can be described as a female Hank Williams Sr. mixed with some Loretta Lynn. Lambert's voice is very raw and has a feel of "old country," rather than the typical over-produced and mixed recordings of most of the female country artists today. As I had to do with "Kerosene," I listened to this album many times before I could appreciate all of the songs on it. And literally every song is good.One of the reasons this album is so exceptional, is that Lambert wrote or co-wrote 8 of the 11 songs, and the only thing she does better than singing is songwriting. Perhaps this understanding of the songs is the reason that her singing comes across with so much conviction.1. Gunpowder and Lead, 4. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - fast-paced, and the only two songs that deviate slightly from Lambert's "old-country" feel and sound more contemporary. "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" could almost be called a sequel to "Kerosene." These will likely be the only radio-friendly singles. Given the chorus, they could just as easily have been sung by Gretchen Wilson, however a closer look at the lyrics show that despite the tempo of the music, these songs have a much more serious nature at second glance.2. Dry Town, 3. Famous in a Small Town - A closer look at Lambert's life growing up in Longview, Texas.5. Love Letters, 6. Desperation, 7. More Like Her - These are the only three songs written entirely by Lambert, and lyrically, are the best songs on the album. The tone in all three is pretty different, but they all have the quality of exceptional writing, that somehow the producers were able to put to fairly good music. "Love Letters" is a true country ballad, yet retains a modern feel.8. Down, 9. Guilty in Here - Somewhat forgettable songs, but they grow on you and are still fairly good.10. Getting Ready, 11. Easy From Now On - Lambert did not co-write either of these songs, which is unfortunate since they are two of the best on the album. "Easy From Now On" is probably my favorite musical track, and I enjoy her version even more than the one originally sung by EmmyLou Harris.Ultimately, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" is a follow up well-worthy of Lambert and showcases some exceptional songwriting and vocal talent. This is not traditional country music filled with ridiculously cheesy lyrics and the same chorus every 30 seconds, but introspective writing and an excellent followup from this rising young artist.

I must be getting old, as this Album was about as boring and run of the mill as any albums I have listened to in the past recent. For Ms. Lambert's supposed Super Star status, she put out (in my opinion) a not so challenging product.

I bought her "Revolution" CD first and with all due respect thought it was just soso. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is more of what I expected from Miranda. She really kicked this one out!! I love her sexy voice to begin with and THIS CD had me all the way through it. She's one talented and BEAUTIFUL lady, I'll likely end up with everything she's done. This CD will be tough to out do, but I believe she will. It's now April 2nd and I have to say I've played "Revolution" a few more times and I think I jumped the gun. I STILL like "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" better, but I do like Revolution a LOT!

O.K., I'll be honest....upon my first few listens of Miranda Lambert's sophomore effort, CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND, I was....dare I say it?!?...disappointed. Oh, sure, it was still obvious that this woman was meant to be a star, but something was just missing, and I wasn't sure what. Was it the sense of innocence, joy and "Hey, Mom, I'm making a record!!" that permeated her excellent 2005 debut KEROSENE? I wasn't sure. However, after repeated spins, I started seeing the disc in a new light. True, the charming naivete of the first album was still pretty much nowhere to be found, but another stunning quality had reared it's artistic head to take it's place. I know I'm going out on a limb here when I say this, but, as she continues to mature, Lambert could very well be the Emmylou Harris of her generation. Like that grande dame of Country, Lambert already has, and is brilliantly honing, the innate ability to hop from genre to genre, style to style, without it ever seeming forced, clumsy or uncomfortable. Things kick off with the sassy "Gunpowder & Lead." From it's roaring guitars to it's sly lead vocal, this is the kind of cut that sets Lambert apart from the rest of the pack. Add strong lyrics ("Slapped my face and he shook me like a rag doll/Don't that sound like a real man/I'm gonna show him what a little girl's made of/Gunpowder & Lead") and you start things off with - no pun intended! - a bang! From there we segue into the honky-tonk swing of David Rawlings' and Gillian Welch's "Dry Town." Amid a buoyant arrangement and effervescent lead vocal, Lambert practically kicks up her heels and dances thru the number! The high point? The almost giddy way she delivers the lines "I figured I'd need about a six of Miller/And one of them things so I wouldn't spill her!" Up next is "Famous In A Small Town", the first of four songs once again co-written with fellow Nashville Star alum Travis Howard (why hasn't a label signed this guy?!?). Along with it's easy groove and relaxed lead vocal, "Famous...." stands out for another reason; it seems as if every young country artist today HAS TO include a song about how wonderful it is growing up in a small town. Thankfully, Lambert puts a different spin on it, and the results come across as fresh and clever instead of trite and cliched. The disc's title track is one of the album's few missteps....the arrangement is just too busy and, both lyrically and vocally, Lambert comes across as somewhat of a poseur, like she's trying too hard (though I do love the line "'Cause baby to a hammer everything looks like a nail"). Far superior is the delicate weeper "Love Letters." There's a classic country sway to this Lambert original that's equal parts hopeful and heartbroken. Nothing ornate, the cut is simple, yet elegant. From it's opening line of "Throw a dog a bone, I'll take it if I have to", there's a quiet....well, desperation!....to "Desperation." Backed by a subdued arrangement and a plaintive lead vocal, it's lines such as "What's the use of standing right there on the edge if there ain't no where to fall", "Complicated words slipping off of your tongue and ain't one of them the truth" and "Well it's too damn bad you didn't have a chance to make me your best friend" that prove just what a strong writer Lambert truly is. Lyrically speaking, "Desperation" is CRAZY's strongest cut. A real winner! Right behind it, though, is the tender "More Like Her." Sort of a sequel to KEROSENE's "Greyhound Bound For Nowhere", Lambert's heart is on her sleeve - it can't be easy being "the other woman"....it must be a TOTAL drag to actually respect and/or admire your competition as well! Gorgeous....simply gorgeous! There's some nice finger-pickin' going on throughout "Down", but, overall, the track comes across as somewhat faked and forced. It's all attitude and image, with very little content. We all KNOW Lambert is a bad-a**....continually TELLING us just lessens the effect! On the flipside, there's a sense of fun and a high energy level to "Guilty In Here" that feels earthy and natural. The instrumentation crackles with a tight, propulsive groove, while Lambert's spirited lead vocal wraps around clever lyrics ("But that boy's like a sore in your mouth that you just have to bite"). Smart and smooth, "Guilty In Here" is a good time, plain and simple! Another of the album's high points is Lambert's cover of Patty Griffin's "Getting Ready." Edgy and intense, this alt-country number has the same kind of lively vibe found on Emmylou Harris' take on Griffin's "One Big Love." Amidst slightly skewered guitars and a hypnotic chorus, Lambert alternates between spitting the words out and purring them (just listen to the lines "I know all the magic's gone/Wish I had a magic wand/I would put a spell on you/You would see it as I do"). To quote another line....."Oh baby baby!!!" Get this on the radio....NOW!! Things wrap up with Lambert's sweet, soulful and sexy take on Carlene Carter's and Susanna Clark's lovely "Easy From Now On." Simple, yet satisfying, it closes the album on a subdued, classy note. And that's a good way to describe Miranda Lambert herself....a class act who is living up to the "Star" potential....both "Nashville" and otherwise!....promised when she first hit the scene four years ago. CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND proves once again that, A) you don't always have to win to be a/the winner, and B) Miss Lambert is here to stay (As with all my reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star for including the lyrics).

This was Miranda Lambert 3 CD released! This CD has plenty of hits on it like Gunpowder & Lead, Love Letters, Famous In A Small Town, More Like Her, & Crazy Ex-Girlfriend! There are 11 songs in all!

I was NEVER a country fan until recently. Miranda is just so talented. Her bad girl, funny lyrics and upbeat music just perks me up, especially when I walk my three miles a day. I was a true Rock and roll fan and she is one of the few country folk I listen to after being introduced to her by my husband who also was never a country fan. What a talented lady.

There were a couple of very nice surprises on this album, in particular "easy from now on". I really like the sense of humor that Ms. Lambert manages to impart. There is a good bit of variety in both melodies and lyrics. It's definitely more countries in mainstream and I wouldn't call her crossover album by any stretch of the imagination. It's much more in the older tradition of country music and that's all right by me.

My girlfriend has told me yet whether she likes it yet!