Sunday Music: Yes Miranda, We Can Be Friends

So an old friend texts me asking how much time I’ve spent with a certain Miranda Lambert record. I let him know, “I mean, I know who she is and kind of know some of her stuff, but I never really paid that close attention to her. Why?” He says, “Trust me, this record is incredible. The songwriting, the musicianship, the production… the guitars – you’re gonna love it.” And he was right.

I didn’t know The Weight of These Wings the first I let it play through, but I do now, and it’s brilliant. I can’t believe I missed this a few years back when it came out.

For the uninitiated, I think you should know this before trying it: the album is as raw as they come, her lyrics are brutally and beautifully honest, and despite some of its inherent country corniness, there’s not a single line that I don’t 200% believe her when she sings. So remember, It’s not your truth on display, it’s hers, and she’s baring her soul here for us. This is art. This is the craft.

If you need a pop-entry point, start with “We Should Be Friends.” You can’t deny the hook or the groove of this one. A lyrical sample of the honesty on display,

I don’t know you well but I know that lookAnd I can judge the cover ‘cause I read the bookOn losin’ sleep and gainin’ weightOn pain and shame and crazy trains

If you use alcohol as a sedativeAnd “bless your heart” as a negativeIf you ride your wild horse like the windIf what you see is what you getWell then, we should be friends

From start to finish, the album is a masterpiece. She tapped into some pure emotion here. In the same way a novel lets you spend time with a cast of characters, she’s giving us a piece of her life in these songs. Give it a shot. Here’s “We Should Be Friends” as a sample: