Miranda Lambert Embraces Late-'70s Country Disco Sound on New Album
Miranda Lambert releases Crisco, a polished country album inspired by the late-1970s country-disco era of artists like Dolly Parton and Bill Anderson, featuring contributions from protégé Ella Langley and her husband Brendan McLoughlin. Working with producer Jesse Frasure, Lambert employs thoughtful string arrangements and explores genre pastiche, though critics note the album's pedestrian songwriting limits its impact compared to her earlier work. The project arrives on the momentum of Langley's "Choosin' Texas," which Lambert co-wrote and produced, now the longest-running number-one single in chart history.
Miranda Lambert's latest project arrives during a commercially successful period for the artist, following the chart-breaking success of protégé Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas," which Lambert helped create and produce. The album represents a deliberate stylistic pivot toward the country-disco aesthetic that dominated Nashville during the Carter administration, drawing inspiration from foundational artists of that era and employing contemporary producer Jesse Frasure to realize the sonic vision.
Lambert's collaborative approach on this album differs from her previous work, incorporating her husband Brendan McLoughlin as a creative partner alongside established songwriters like Natalie Hemby. The production emphasizes lush orchestral elements and string arrangements as distinguishing features, positioning the album within broader recent trends of country artists exploring retro-influenced sounds and genre experimentation.
The album's reception could influence how country music audiences engage with genre experimentation and retro aesthetics during a period when Nashville's mainstream sound faces critical scrutiny. Lambert's profile and commercial platform may shape industry conversations about sonic diversity in country radio, potentially affecting how record labels approach artist development. The project's mixed critical reception suggests that production polish alone may not guarantee cultural resonance, which could inform future approaches to artist-producer partnerships in the genre.