Last Look: Miranda Lambert – “Revolution”

Miranda Lambert - RevolutionWhen I listen to Miranda Lambert’s Revolution, I don’t hear Nashville. I don’t hear Tobey Keith — or even Taylor Swift. I do hear the frayed alt.country of Ryan Adams’ Cardinals, and on songs such as the feedback-fueled “That’s The Way The World Goes ‘Round,” even the punk roots of Uncle Tupelo. To be sure, Lambert, a bewitching blonde comely enough to earn a national cotton industry campaign alongside indie pin-up Zooey Deschanel, has the image and the big-tent melodies of her recent colleagues, but the singer flips the script on her crossover sound. The album’s pop and rock accents are the frame; country, the type made famous by the likes of Dolly and Emmylou, is the focus. You say you want a Revolution? Tell your friends.

More: New Music | 2009 Album Release Calendar