Lambert steps out of country music niche

In her fourth album "Four the Record," Miranda Lambert dabbles in a somewhat different sound, producing numerous tracks that stray from tones of her previous hits.  Between the fifteen tracks on this surprisingly long album, fans will see a new side of the country star. 

I am not entirely sure why music artists are always trying to be different.  If they are all trying to be different together then who is really standing out?  I personally believe artists should find their niche and stick to it.  Listeners will either like your sound or they won't and that's that.  If you couldn't tell, I am not a fan of musicians changing their ways in the middle of their careers, but I was surprised that I was not turned off by Lambert's new tracks.

The biggest difference I heard was in the second track, "Fine Tune."  The song has an easy-going, slow rhythm with tweaked vocals.  Lambert seems to be using some sort of slight synthesizer or effect that alters the sound of her voice, but not so much that it is unrecognizable. 

With tracks like "Fine Tune," "Easy Living" and the already popular "Baggage Claim" it seems Lambert was ready for a change, something different from the sound of her other three albums.  Even though I was a bit thrown off by these curve ball tracks, she implemented variation with finesse. 

Lambert did not completely stray from her roots, including several songs that exude her two personas: the frisky, tough country girl and the sweet southern belle.  "Fastest Girl in Town" is an upbeat, exciting track, accompanied by softer tunes such as "Look At Miss Ohio" and "Oklahoma Sky."  

Maybe there are fewer slow-paced, broken-hearted tracks because she is so happy with her new marriage she can't find any sad things to write about. I'm not saying I wish failure upon her marriage by any means, but I do miss her heart-tugging ballads. 

Overall, the album is just different.  It isn't great, but it isn't bad.  I am a known Miranda Lambert fan, but I have never liked every single song on her albums.  With that being said, the more I listen to "Four the Record," the more it grows on me.  It just takes a few listens to adjust to the change.

B+