On Friday, Sept. 13, country singer Miranda Lambert released her tenth studio album, “Postcards from Texas.” Lambert’s music features a classical kind of country — think acoustic guitar, tambourine and a southern drawl, rather than the electronic or beat-heavy hints of more modern sounds like Luke Combs or Thomas Rhett.
Lambert, one of the most dominant female country singers of the twenty-first century, has been producing music since the age of 18. The recent album’s production was largely a homage to her roots, and even the title “Postcards from Texas” hinted at this overarching theme.
When asked about the inspiration for the title in an interview with TODAY’s Hoda & Jenna, Lambert explained, “So, it’s like little snapshots of all the influences over the last two decades of my career. That’s why I called it ‘Postcards from Texas.’ It felt like each [song] was a separate little vignette.” The idea that the album was a tapestry of standalone quilt squares that could each be appreciated individually — rather than necessarily relying on each other to create an image — was certainly apparent.
The album was distinctly a product of Texas. Lambert reminded listeners that “I haven’t made a record in Austin since I was 18, so it felt really full circle.” She went on to explain that the Texas atmosphere made the production feel “easy”, and that the album was coproduced with the help of Jon Randall, also a Texas native.
Although each of the album’s songs has a distinct melody and rhythm that was clearly intended to be easy to whistle along to, each of the tunes included effective lyricism. In songs such as “Wranglers” and “Living on the Run,” Lambert’s album rejected the characterization of slow-moving and emotional country music, instead screaming of female independence and durability.
Lambert’s style of storytelling in her various pieces was also laden with figurative language and metaphorical descriptions. Take, for example, her opening song “Armadillo,” which begins the album with the words, “Well I met an armadillo / Out in Amarillo / And he asked me for a light / I said ‘a where ya goin’?’ / He said ‘I don’t really know’ / And I said ‘brother I’ve been there twice.’” The zoomorphism — which may be representation of a person, or simply an armadillo capable of human speech — adds to the sense of safe “lostness” which parts of the album certainly embrace.
In a collection of YouTube videos entitled “Miranda Lambert – Postcards from Texas: Studio Diaries,” Lambert described the various stages of production for her album. In the series, she described the potpourri of voices that had been recorded in the same studio that she worked in, and the fact that her husband — a former NYPD police officer — was featured on the album.
In her final video, part four of the series, she underscored the importance of the album, as she explained one of the toughest parts of production: taking out songs that didn’t make the final cut.
Lambert said, “…this is the sound that sets up the next couple years of my life and tour […] I want to make sure this is exactly what it’s supposed to be.” With an album that echoes Lambert’s past and is unique in its own right, hopefully this album will help to cement the country star’s legacy.
Rating: 4.5/5