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FRI.| 4-12-24 | ENTERTAINMENT
Palomino more like pala-oh no
SUN. | 05-23-22 | ENTERTAINMENT
While I’ve never considered myself much of a country music connoisseur, I’ve grown up surrounded by country music for my entire life. My mom and many of my friends love country music, so it has always been around me. To this day, I still have distinct memories of road trips with my family and country music playing in the car, specifically the song “Gunpowder and Lead” by Miranda Lambert. Following the release of Lambert’s newest album, “Palomino”, on April 29, I decided to take it upon myself to review the singer's ninth solo studio album. The album has 15 songs, but here are a few that stood out to me among the rest.
First off, the beginning song on the album, ”Actin’ Up”, immediately hit me with nostalgia for Lambert's early songs. It had a nice rhythm and spunky lyrics which is not unlike her at all. While the lead was very enjoyable in the beginning, I found that the chorus disappointed me greatly. Instead of adding to the almost grungy feel the beginning of the song had, it kind of disrupted the flow by slowing the song down, which I was not a particular fan of.
Next was my favorite song on the album: “Geraldene”. This single really hit home for me with having direct ties to the famous song by Dolly Parton: “Jolene”. Not only did the song include lyrics like “but you’re never gonna be Jolene,” but the repetition of the name Geraldene within the chorus and overall flow of the song remains consistent with the classic by Parton. Apart from being so similar to “Jolene”, there was a glaringly obvious difference: the message. Instead of a song about a woman who could steal your man, “Geraldene” highlights the confidence Lambert has when saying “you can’t take a man from me,” which I personally enjoyed. This song is extremely catchy and definitely takes first place on the album through my eyes.
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Another favorite, “Wandering Spirit”, also caught my attention when listening to the album. The reason this song stood out to me was because of how different it is to Lambert’s usual singles she has produced in the past. Not only did it lack her sassy lyrics, but it has an almost bluesy feel to it which I would have never expected from her. However, I enjoyed this song a lot considering that the emotion behind it was evident. There were also choir-like background vocals that joined Lambert during the chorus, which really went well together. The fast paced beat and the background choir reminded me of gospel music mixed with country vocals from Lambert.
Finally, “If I Was a Cowboy”. To be honest, I really included this song solely because it has just been stuck in my head for the past couple of weeks from the radio and such. I can’t say I would put this song above the rest, but it is certainly the most popular song off of the album. The ad libs and chorus of this song are extremely catchy, but there isn’t that strong of a story being told, which ultimately loses me in the end. While this song is great for background music, it isn’t one I would regularly listen to in my free time.
With Lambert’s extended career in country music, I almost expected to be bored and let down by “Palomino”. However, I was very pleasantly surprised with the new ways she has transformed her music while still sticking to her rebellious roots. I heavily predict I will be listening to some of these songs in the future, and I can honestly say Lambert's music has aged gracefully with time.
