Search - Miranda Lambert :: Kerosene

David N. (ilikeallmusic) from GADSDEN, AL
Reviewed on 2/21/2007...

Just like new, with front & back and booklet

1 of 6 member(s) found this review helpful.

A great album from a gifted singer/songwriter!

DanD | 12/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Few artists on the Texas country scene have enough commercial appeal to make national playlists. Miranda Lambert is an exception to the rule; the amazing thing is, she does it without sacrificing who she is. There aren't any huge radio hits on this album, I don't think--time may prove me wrong, and let's hope it does--and the fact that the album debuted at number one is attributable to Lambert's "Nashville Star" exposure...but none of that detracts from the quality of this fine, charged, and truly enjoyable album.



I won't go song-for-song--don't wanna ruin any surprises for ya. You've heard the feisty "Kerosene," the breezy "Me and Charlie Talking," and the passionate "Bring Me Down." The rest of the album revovles around these sentiments, sometimes with more acoustic arrangements, sometimes with screaming electric guitars and pounding drums. The songs themselves are as inspired as the arrangements/performances...everywhere you look, there is a clever turn of a phrase, or an undeniably catchy hook (my favorites remain "If you're the death of me darlin, I wanna die" and, of course, "There ain't a rule that ain't worth breakin").



What sets Lambert apart from her peers is not her national media exposure on "Nashville Star" (I didn't watch it, but I believe she was on the first season; if I'm wrong, sorry), but her gifted songwriting abilities. She wrote or co-wrote every track but one; all the better, because all of these songs are true gems. With her songwriting abilities, her vocal prowess, and her feisty attitude, one cannot help but compare Lambert to Dolly Parton (minus a couple of, um, physical attributes). Do you think this comparison is far-fetched? Listen to KEROSENE, then see if you can disagree with me."

A Stunning Debut From A Past (And Future!) STAR!!

Jef Fazekas | Newport Beach, California United States | 06/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sitting around with a couple of friends two years ago, watching the finale of the first season of Nashville Star, I made a prediction....even if she didn't win, Sony would sign Miranda Lambert. There was no way they would pass up the chance to nurture someone so talented at such a young age - she was just too good an investment! Now, two years down the road, here we are with Lambert's debut disc KEROSENE....on Epic/Sony! And what a debut it is! Upon first listen, you might mistake it for the third or fourth release from someone in their thirties, versus the first release of an artist still in their early twenties. Things kick off with the percolating alt-country title track, sort of the female version of a Steve Earle rocker. With it's chiming guitars, pounding percussion, harmonica riffs and snarled "Ha!", this track could very well be the feisty musical younger sister of Earle's "I Feel Alright" (I particularly love the line "Dirty hands ain't made for shaking"). An awesome way to kick off the album! Things continue nicely with the chugging "What About Georgia?" With it's gutsy lead vocal and perfect arrangement (nice interplay between guitar and banjo!), this smart song about growing up, owning up to your mistakes and learning to put the past behind you is intelligent, artistic and fun, all at the same time. Another winner! Things are cranked down a notch or ten with the aching "Greyhound Bound For Nowhere." It's rare when someone as young as Lambert can convey the resignation and hurt that permeates this song (the fact that she's been doing it for a number of years probably helps!), but that's just strong testament to her talent. This tale of a love triangle that just can't end well is anchored by some gorgeous guitar work - both acoustic and electric - as well as a plaintive lead vocal. What can I say...hit single waiting to happen! Next up is the sparkling "New Strings." Despite her age, you can tell Lambert's been at this for a while, something she confirms when talking about "this old guitar and a brand new set of strings"; at this stage of her life, that's all she needs. She's set out on an adventure...and she's jazzed about it! That excitement shines through brilliantly on the cut. "I Can't Be Bothered", a honky-tonk rave-up written by fellow NS alum Travis Howard (who co-penned two more songs on the disc with Lambert) is jukebox music at it's best...the fiddle's upfront, Lambert's voice has just an extra dose of twang to it and your feet are moving by song's end. Another strong contender for a future single! On the flip side of the coin, I really don't know what Epic was thinking by releasing "Bring Me Down" as KEROSENE's second single - it's a nice song, and it's grown on me with additional listens, but (compared to around 95% of the rest of KEROSENE) in the end it comes across as slightly overproduced, with a somewhat histrionic lead vocal. Ditto "Me And Charlie Talking"....a clever enough song about a childhood romance that was supposed to last forever...but didn't. Cute, coy and, ultimately, forgettable, this is an O.K. album track, buried in the middle of the disc...it is NOT the DEBUT single off the DEBUT release from a DEBUTING artist. Epic needs to think long and hard when it comes time to pick a third single, because the first two choices have definitely shortchanged the disc. Things rebound 110%, though, with the smoky, sultry "I Wanna Die." With it's in-your-face backbeat and keyboards snaking in and out, there's a definite rock edge, but Lambert still keeps it country with a powerful (yet, at times, kittinish) lead vocal. Another side she would be wise to explore with greater depth on future recordings...! Next up is the beautiful "Love Is Looking For You"...great instrumentation, cool vocal, but what really shines thru is Lambert's prowess as a lyricist: "Maybe you're just jaded from some nobody's unforgotten words/Maybe you're just faded a little gray from every time/That you've been hurt/So you're looking for your skin/That you never did fit in/You can't hide when you're turned inside out/Love is looking for you now." That's a writer, ladies and gentlemen! The same can be said about "Mama, I'm Alright", one of Lambert's collaborations with Travis Howard. With it's gentle vocal and strumming acoustic core, Lambert effectively conveys that what was right for her folks just wasn't in the cards for her: "If I had done what you and Daddy'd done/I would have never lost and never won/Or gotten myself kicked when I was down/I would not know how to travel well/A hundred bucks and cheap motels/I would not know how to fight for my own heart next time around." Another one knocked out of the park! Things wrap up with the haunting "There's A Way" and the delicate "Love Your Memory." So...pick up Miranda Lambert's KEROSENE and get on board at the ground level of a career that is destined to soar in the years to come (As with all my reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star for including the lyrics)."