Miranda Lambert: Four The Record

But Lambert is still a top-notch badass when she wants to be, particularly on the rowdy “Fastest Girl In Town” (co-written, unsurprisingly, with her Pistol Annies cohort/fellow shit-kicker Angaleena Presley) and the breakup anthem/tantrum “Mama’s Broken Heart,” which Lambert delivers with a ferocity bordering on punk. The album’s first single, “Baggage Claim,” is a more forced, gimmicky take on Lambert’s signature sass that feels like a hollow attempt to recreate previous hits, an unfortunate bit of regression on a record that for the most part focuses on growth.

The bevy of writers and co-writers guiding Lambert results in a ranging, not especially cohesive album that makes up for the occasional dud (the schmaltzy power ballad “Better In The Long Run,” a duet with Lambert’s husband Blake Shelton) with plenty of solid earworms (the catchy mid-tempo “Safe”) and a couple of welcome left turns (the loping, back-porch sing-along “Easy Living”). Most importantly, Lambert manages to sell it all with vocals that are self-assured and filled with personality, indicating that she’s having fun playing in this new, bigger sandbox.