Miranda Lambert burst onto the music scene four years ago as one of the finalists from Nashville Star. Since then she has not looked back. Her debut album, Kerosene, peaked at #1 on the U.S country charts and showed the world what she was made of. Her sophomore album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend continues from there.

Yet again, Miranda pulls no punches with tracks such as “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”, and “Gunpowder And Lead” all about seeking revenge and raising some hell. Lambert has built her new album around the tough-chick persona with lines such as “his fist is big but my gun's bigger/he'll find out when I pull the trigger” from “Gunpowder And Lead”. It’s a move that may hinder her career if she strays too far from the persona she has developed for herself. But for now it’s doing just the opposite; her tough-chick persona drawing in new fans.

The fact she not only has a beautiful voice to go with that gutsy attitude, but is also a talented songwriter, doesn’t hurt either. At only 23, Lambert has co-written every track on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, bar three. It’s a standout achievement for someone so young, especially with lyrics that have meaning and are strong and intelligent. This hasn’t stopped her from appreciating the writing talents of other big names though, such as Gillian Welch (“Dry Town”) and Carlene Carter (“Easy From Now On”.)

While Lambert has the ability to inflict a gutsy tone to “Gunpowder And Lead,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” and “Famous In A Small Town,” she can just easily switch to sincerity and a poignancy for “Love Letters” and “More Like Her.” The only negative aspect I can see to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is that while the songs are beautifully sung and well-written, a few of them remind me of other country hits.

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is reminiscent of Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” and her stellar track “Gunpowder And Lead” reminds me of The Dixie Chicks' tale of revenge with “Goodbye Earl.”  Despite this, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is probably one of the best country CDs to come out so far this year. It showcases a multitude of talents and I look forward in seeing what else she can produce.

Tracks not to miss: “Gunpowder And Lead,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Famous In A Small Town,” and “More Like Her”.

I give it 4/5

Year: 2007
Record Label: Sony
Track Listing:
01. Gunpowder And Lead
02. Dry Town
03. Famous In A Small Town
04. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
05. Love Letters
06. Desperation
07. More Like Her
08. Down
09. Guilty In Here
10. Getting Ready
11. Easy From Now On