And female vocalist goes to...

Platinum

Cynics might think that Miranda Lambert is presumptuous in entitling her fifth disc "Platinum" and, in effect, assuming she'll get her plaque for selling 1 million units. But Lambert says that isn't the case, but more a matter of style, looks and feel. Lambert also wrote and discovered a lot of excellent songs that fit her quite well in an album in which she exposes her inner self as she matures. That may never more apparent than in the country rocker Lambert wrote ...

Revolution

Every once in a while an album comes along that restores your faith in mainstream country music. Miranda Lambert's "Revolution" is just such a recording. It's not revolutionary, as the title might suggest. Instead, this CD is chock full of topnotch songs that are both memorable and sincere and never sound slick or overproduced. (Come to think of it, such old school values as these may in fact be revolutionary around Nashville). Lambert vocalizes a bit like a little girl at ...

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Even though it sounds like a cliche from the big book of country songwriting, the truth is that, when the timing's right, a loser can end up being the biggest winner of all. Today's object lesson comes from Miranda Lambert and her sophomore album, the follow-up to her 2005 near-platinum debut, "Kerosene." Imagine for a moment if the then-19-year-old had actually taken the crown in 2003's Nashville Star and then been forced into the studio within weeks to be primped and ...