Album Review: Miranda Lambert, 'Palomino'

Since the pandemic upended the world around us, we've been treated to albums that were simultaneous products and studies of quarantined life. With Palomino, her ninth studio album, Miranda Lambert surveys the expanse of mobile life by way of a metaphorical road trip. The album arrives on the heels of 2019's Wildcard and 2021's The Marfa Tapes. The former was an underwhelming radio-ready follow-up to 2016's career-best The Weight of These Wings, while the latter found Miranda stripping down her sound and cradling some of her most vulnerable songwriting with campfire harmonies built alongside Jack Ingram and John Randall. An amalgam of surefire singles and deceptively simple ruminations on travel, Palomino is a worthy addition to Lambert's lexicon.

If The Weight of These Wings was a cathartic exploration of divorce and Wildcard was the beginning of Miranda getting back to herself, then Palomino is the long-awaited homecoming of Miranda Lambert. Where its (solo) predecessor was a bit uneven with its country-rock leanings, Palomino finds Miranda returning to what works for her. Miranda Lambert albums are fun; there's a buoyant spirit of winking rebellion that runs through her entire discography, and Palomino continues that tradition. This album's proper predecessor is The Marfa Tapes, and that project's rawness undergoes a bit of transformation through Palomino. "In His Arms," "Geraldene," and "Waxahatchie" all appeared on The Marfa Tapes in a more acoustic form. All three songs benefit from the glossier production of Palomino, specifically "In His Arms" and "Geraldene." The former places its depth on the strings of the steel guitar that rounds out the updated arrangement. The latter, on the other hand, seizes the rollicking swagger of its new arrangement to better emphasize the stuttering consonant motif that makes the track so endearing. "Geraldene" is easily a standout on Palomino. An obvious ode to Dolly Parton and "Jolene," it's a subtle reminder that, with nine albums under her belt, Miranda has grown into a country music icon in her own right. Her dedication to honoring country music's legacy on her auditory road trip finds another worthy pit stop in "That's What Makes the Jukebox Play." Written by Miranda, Natalie Hemby, and Luke Dick, the track's somber drums set the foundation for a nostalgic extolment of jukeboxes, country music, and the priceless moments that they soundtrack.

Miranda's commitment to the road trip concept is consistent from the top to the bottom of the record. "Actin' Up" blends Miranda's slightly haunted tone with electric guitar to convey the anticipatory feeling of getting out on the road. "Scenes" follows with its snapshots of different stages of a road trip; "Another motel room / Another crescent moon / Between me and you / Movin’ right along to the next scene," she croons. By the end of the record, Miranda bids us farewell with "Pursuit of Happiness" and "Carousel." The former stuns in its own right, but "Carousel" truly steals the show. A melancholic and knowing reflection on the end of a trapeze artist's career, "Carousel" is a thinly-veiled dedication to ending your time in the limelight on your own terms. It's not Miranda's swan song just yet, but, when the time comes, it will make for a fitting finale to her career.

Palomino doesn't hit the mark every time. Standouts like "Tourist," "Music City Queen," and "Wandering Spirit," pick up the slack left by forgettable songs like "I'll Be Loving You" and "Country Money." For every singular inconsistency, there are two or three songs waiting in the wings to keep the album on track. In a way, those valleys only intensify the album's peaks. Even singles like "Strange" and "If I Was A Cowboy," perfectly fit into the story and context of the album despite never quite shaking their polished radio-ready sound. Palomino is the natural next stop after TheMarfa Tapes. While it is a strong offering in its own right, Palomino arguably leaves greater anticipation for where Miranda goes for Album #10.

Key Tracks: "Geraldene" | "Tourist" | "Carousel" | "In His Arms" | "Strange"

Score: 83