Grammy-winning country artist Miranda Lambert maintains consistency throughout her entertaining seventh studio album, Wildcard.

Question: Did you realize that while country artist Miranda Lambert has won two Grammys, she’s be nominated for 16? That definitely says something about how awesome Lambert is when it comes to her craft.  She’s remained quite consistent throughout her career, even for projects that didn’t get the nod from The Recording Academy.  Her seventh studio album, Wildcard maintains such consistency, adding another winning album to her discography.  There are no shortage of musical gems.

“White Trash”

“I can keep it clean on Sundays and keep the lights and water on / But I can’t keep my white trash off the lawn.” Sigh, Miranda Lambert commences Wildcard with a bang via ✓ “White Trash.” She’s energetic, feisty, and unapologetically southern.  Basically, Lambert is true to self without sugarcoating, hence why “White Trash” is an awesome start. Of course, spirited production doesn’t hurt the cause either.

Follow-up “Mess with My Head” keeps things short but sweet.  The production is driving, embracing country, but also welcoming some pop/rock cues.  Even more than the opener, the guitars are ripe and turned the F up.  Lambert continues to perform brilliantly, delivering an alluring yet balanced vocal performance.  The chorus is repetitive but quite catchy – infectious to the nth degree.

“‘Cause it’ll all come out, all come out in the wash /… Every little stain, every little heartbreak / No matter how messy it got / You take the sin and the men, and you throw ‘em all in / And you put that sucker on spin.” Miranda Lambert is talking about more than just washing clothes on ✓ “It All Comes Out in the Wash”. “If you wear a white shirt to a crawfish boil / Stonewashed jeans while you’re changing the oil…” She references literal dirty laundry but the juicier ‘dirty laundry’ is metaphorical.

Lambert provided some insight into this energetic gem, via Nash Country Daily, asserting that the song expresses, “realizing that when you have something in your life that’s a little unclean at times or hurtful or a moment that you wish would pass, it does all pass and it all comes out in the wash.” Beyond the chorus, excerpted at the top, the bridge is quite a treat:

“And the laundry list goes like this:
Every teardrop, every white lie, 
Every dirty cotton sheet, let it line dry.
All the mistakes, all the wild streaks, 
That’s why the good Lord made bleach, oh-oh.”

“Settling Down”

Following up a contender for crowning achievement of Wildcard is tough. While “Settling Down” doesn’t reach the same elite level, it maintains consistency.  The production remains strong, as does Lambert’s musicianship and artistry.

✓ “Holy Water” is a more compelling cut, incorporating elements of gospel and funk, while still remaining idiomatic of country.  There’s an added dimension of soulfulness to Lambert’s lead vocals, which is definitely drawn from southern gospel.  The backing vocals further amplify the excellence of the song. Once more, the chorus is a selling point:

“Gimme some of that holy water
A bit of that holy water
Just a nip on that holy water
Holy water gonna make us drown.” 

Keeping the momentum rolling is the fun, novel, tongue-n-cheek cut, ✓ “Way Too Pretty for Prison,” featuring Maren Morris.  This is a successful record thanks to the pronounced twang and outlandish, southern, countrified lyrics and story line.  Lambert handles the first verse and the first pre-chorus, while Morris makes her first appearance on the chorus alongside Lambert.  Of course, on the second verse, Morris kicks things off with a bang singing about “Antifreeze and Gatorade / Arsenic in his lemonade…” Morris sings the second pre-chorus before the remainder of the song, including the bridge, finds the two naughty ladies singing jointly.

“Locomotive” 

There is no loss of intensity on “Locomotive,” a rollicking, up-tempo number that fits Miranda Lambert ‘to a T.’ The guitars continue to roar while Lambert sounds pretty badass, again, in a most southern way.  Look no further than the chorus: “I’m sweet tea sippin’ on a front porch, sittin’ / While my hubby fries chicken and I’m picking these strings…” “Bluebird” slackens the pace but still musters up a moderate tempo. Here, Lambert is more reflective, and incorporates some hypothetical situations on the chorus.  Also, during the chorus, she references the album title:

“And if the house just keeps on winning
I got a wildcard up my sleeve
And if love keeps giving me lemons
I’ll just mix ‘em in my drink
And if the whole wide world stops singing
And all the stars go dark
I’ll keep a light on in my soul
Keep a bluebird in my heart.”

“How Dare You Love” is a mid-tempo ballad, once again finding Lambert cooling off after exhibiting ample edge throughout Wildcard.  As always, she sings both confident and beautifully.  As lovely as “How Dare You Love” is, it’s not a game changer in the context of the album.  “Fire Escape” may not accelerate the tempo, but a change of ‘vibe’ embracing elements of retro company feels refreshing and slightly reinvigorating.  As has been the case throughout Wildcard, all boxes are checked off, even if “Fire Escape” isn’t on the same level as say, “It All Comes Out in the Wash.” Still, those harmonized vocals during the chorus count for something!

“Pretty Bitchin’”

Following some ballads, Miranda Lambert brings back the attitude and edge on ✓ “Pretty Bitchin’.” What exactly is ‘pretty bitchin’ for Lambert? Well, it includes a new truck, red wine, her guitar, a “pretty good band,” and “Pretty damn good fans” among other things. The main takeaway seems to be how awesome her life is, period. ✓ “Tequila Does” is a sensational follow-up.  During the verse section, the tempo is slow and unhurried, set in a lilting, compound duple meter (also possibly heard as a quicker triple meter).  During the chorus, the pace is quicker, shifting to good old common time.  Furthermore, the chorus is another winner for Lambert:

“‘Cause he don’t love me like tequila does
Nobody can
He don’t give me that border town buzz
Like tequila does.”

The storytelling continues on the enjoyable penultimate joint, “Track Record,” where “Girls like me don’t meant to, but we don’t know better / I got a track record.” Fair enough.  Concluding cut “Dark Bars” features some of the great attributes of previous cuts – narrative-driven, reflective, and a respectable, well-rounded performance.

Final Thoughts 

All in all, Miranda Lambert maintains her expected level of consistency throughout Wildcard.  This isn’t a game changing LP that will transform what has been an illustrious career in country music, but it is another well-rounded offering in a rich discography.  Perhaps not every song is a home run, but there are plenty that you’ll definitely have on repeat, with “It All Comes Out in the Wash” leading the charge.

✓ Gems: “White Trash,” “It All Comes Out in the Wash,” “Holy Water,” “Way Too Pretty for Prison,” “Pretty Bitchin’” & “Tequila Does”

Miranda Lambert • Wildcard • Vanner / Sony Music • Release: 11.1.19

Photo Credits: Vanner / Sony Music