Miranda Lambert – “More Like Her”
Songwriters: Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert sheds her renegade persona and exposes her vulnerable side in her latest single, “More Like Her,” the fourth from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and the first solo-penned track to be released from the album.
It’s interesting to note that upon the release of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, the marketing and chatter centered around Lambert’s cultivated renegade image, but that died with the extended radio run of “Famous In A Small Town” and never really resurfaced during the 30 week run of “Gunpowder and Lead.” It looks like the death of that image has allowed the focus to center on her artistic merits, netting her Album of the Year at the ACM Awards, but it’ll be interesting to see if it garners her any more commercial success. At the pace they’re going now, it wouldn’t be out of the question to only see new music from Lambert every two years, after four singles have had their chance to run the gamut.
Based on personal experience, Lambert sings about her role as the losing participant of a love triangle in “More Like Her.” The details are ambiguous, creating a lack of a complete narrative, but this allows Lambert to explore her own internal emotional conflict. Vindication, stubbornness, self reliance, and mostly inadequacy make up the emotional complexity as Lambert wonders what she should have done to keep her man and if trading her pain for love would have been worth betraying her personal values.
Whether or not this one has any potential at radio remains to be seen and they certainly aren’t guaranteed to latch on to it, despite her previous two singles making her highest chart climbs to date. The song’s slow tempo, which is the polar opposite of “Gunpowder and Lead,” is quite unlike anything else currently in the Top 40. While the change of pace is certainly refreshing, “Desperation” or “Love Letters” would have made for better releases in today’s radio climate.
To wrap it up, the song is a little ambigous, unlike anything on radio, and not catchy in a singable sort of way due to it’s slow tempo. Commercially, it doesn’t look like it has much going for it and probably wasn’t the best choice for a single. However, Lambert sounds great and sells the song with her performance, making for a worthwhile release. This kind of material, as opposed to her tough-chick-done-wrong romps like “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and “Gunpowder and Lead,” is where her real promise lies and hopefully will become stronger as she develops her craft. Moreover, the song’s uniqueness compared to Top 40 radio is a plus and it’s nice to see something sent to radio for its artistic quality rather than its commercial viability.
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Trackback URI for this postAugust 31, 2008
[...] the polar opposite of Gunpowder and Lead or Kerosene to balance her as an artist.” — Stormy “I’m afraid I really dislike this song’s lyrics. It’s my least favorite on the album by a [...]
December 16, 2008
[...] The 9513 says: “This kind of material, as opposed to her tough-chick-done-wrong romps like “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend  [...]
55 Comments
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August 14, 2008 at 2:37 pm Permalink
Whether or not this does well at radio, looking at the long term, Miranda really needed something the polar opposite of Gunpowder and Lead or Karosene to ballance her as an artist.
August 14, 2008 at 3:03 pm Permalink
I would love to see Dry Town as a single. I do think as a whole, it is a great cd.
August 14, 2008 at 3:33 pm Permalink
I’m afraid I really dislike this song’s lyrics. It’s my least favourite on the album by a long way. I hate the sneering attitude towards the object of the song (and it feels particularly unpleasant to me since I understand IRL Miranda is involved in a relationship with someone who left his wife for her). It affects me in a really visceral way.
I can understand wanting to go with a stylistic change from Gunpowder And Lead; I rather wish they’d gone with Miranda’s cover of Easy from Now On, which I like a lot.
August 14, 2008 at 3:43 pm Permalink
this song may have some value if your looking to get a grip on miranda lambert’s overall catalogue, which i enjoy greatly, but a potential hit-single it ain’t. it’s too forgettable, literally.
August 14, 2008 at 3:51 pm Permalink
I like “Love Letters” and “Desperation” better as songs, but I think “More Like Her” has a more radio-ready melodic hook. And I do like the range of emotions Miranda sings in this one. But the chorus is too strident for my taste.
And is it just me, or does the verse melody sound a whole lot like that of “Whiskey Lullaby” (and, for that matter, the lovely “Trapeze” by Patty Griffin featuring Emmylou Harris).
August 14, 2008 at 4:02 pm Permalink
I’ll be the first positive voice on this thread. I love this song. I have hoped it would be released the first time I heard it. I don’t expect it to do particularly well on radio, but I hope we’re all wrong and that it does. I like “desperation” and it has one of my favorite Miranda lines, “Give a dog a bone and I’ll take it if I have to”, but I still like this one better. To me, the production, vocals and even melody are more appealing. I think my one problem with “Desperation” is the rhyme of “desperation” and “frustration”; it almost seems too easy.
Okay, so that’s how how I really feel.:)
August 14, 2008 at 4:30 pm Permalink
As I’d mentioned at Country Universe, “More Like Her” does not quite stir me like many of her other songs, but I enjoy the layers of conflict in the song. It’s a rarity on country radio today. B+ in my opinion.
Lambert does sound wonderful, and this song is an important tool in diversifying her career and her image. Although her mainstream success has been closely tied to her rebel-rousing attitude, the vulnerable moments on both albums are very moving. In my opinion, she is just scratching the surface of her potential, which is a scary thought.
August 14, 2008 at 4:34 pm Permalink
First off, great review Brady! I really love this song, and is a perfect example of how Miranda makes music that is so unique and has so much emotion in it, which is a rarity in country radio these days. The lyrics in this song come out and grab you! Plus this song live is absolutely AMAZING! I really hope it does well and if anyone can make this a hit its Miranda.
August 14, 2008 at 4:43 pm Permalink
Blake, I just give it two notches higher at country universe.:) Not bad.:)
August 14, 2008 at 5:20 pm Permalink
Miranda and her label may be trying to keep Miranda from being pigeon holed at Airhead Country Radio as purely a rockin’ “tough chick” artist. It seems the “Airhead” programmers quickly come to expect a certain style and sound from new Top 20 artists that they want repeated ad nauseum. When Gretchen Wilson broke on the scene with “Redneck Woman” and followed it up with “Here For The Party” it set a tone and only the rockin’ and similar “All Jacked Up” got real Top 40 radio support (with some for “California Girls” as well). When Gretchen released slow ballad singles to radio they were ignored and now she has been pretty much forgotten by airhead radio entirely.
Releasing a pleasant sounding slow song like this is also an effort to broaden her fan base to include those who may not like her tough chick stylings (i.e. myself for example). Personally I think this is a good song but as mentioned by most others here it lacks “airhead appeal factor”. If this single does well at radio it will be due to rabid Miranda fans (like Mirandas2Cool) requesting it like crazy (ex-girlfriends that is..)
August 14, 2008 at 5:37 pm Permalink
I wouldn’t necessarily say that, Rick … she was able to sneak in “When I Think About Cheatin’” as a top 5, and even “Homewrecker” was #2.
August 14, 2008 at 5:39 pm Permalink
I consider myself a pretty big fan of hers, but maybe not rabid.:) Right now, she may be my favorite current mainstream country female artist. Of course, the female singers of my youth will always win out though.
August 14, 2008 at 5:58 pm Permalink
It’s a great song, but it’s another example of the problem with most of Miranda’s singles: lack of a singable hook.
August 14, 2008 at 6:01 pm Permalink
The songs with the singable hooks are the ones that tend to end up growing tiresome to me after awhile.
August 14, 2008 at 6:13 pm Permalink
It’s a fine song, but I definitely would’ve picked “Love Letters” over it.
August 14, 2008 at 7:48 pm Permalink
Matt nailed it, although it’s nice to have a mainstream artist who would rather release a cohesive song than a whole bunch of drivel surrounding one catchy part. I think “Desperation” would have been the better commercial single, but this one is more interesting, IMO. Mostly, I just really want to see her release “Dry Town.”
August 14, 2008 at 8:25 pm Permalink
I’m not a Miranda fan (at all) and I even kinda like this one (compared to her other stuff that is).
;-)
August 14, 2008 at 8:36 pm Permalink
Ditto to “Dry Town”!
August 14, 2008 at 8:54 pm Permalink
Howdy Rick! I wont dissapoint you, im alrady requesting this song like crazy. Except im not a crazy ex-girlfriend ..or a girl at all. haha
August 14, 2008 at 9:04 pm Permalink
As a big Miranda fan and I am so excited to see this as the new single because like many of you stated I feel it is really important for her to have a change of pace and go with a ballad.The one thing I hear all the time about Miranda is that she is good but she doesn’t have the vocals to pull off a ballad, this song should help to aleviate most of those doubts. Whether or not this becomes a radio hit remains to be seeen, (I think there is a very good chance it will, but I’m biased)but the most important thing about the choice of this single is to prove to country fans Miranda’s more than just “scary chick” songs.
August 14, 2008 at 9:08 pm Permalink
Oh, and Leeann and Dan if there is a fourth single off the album I too hope it’s “Dry Town”.
August 14, 2008 at 9:17 pm Permalink
I love her “slower” stuff, and have to agree that “New Strings”,”Me And Charlie Talkin”,and “Famous In A Small Town” were so dreadfully “man hating” I would’nt think about putting them on the radio. (that was sarcastic for you idiots). Miranda has a very wide range of Great songs on her albums that will never see airplay from the big co ops that run the dismal american idol worishiping fcc. I just hope I can see more from a real artist in the future rather than relying on disney for American music.
August 14, 2008 at 9:54 pm Permalink
Dont forget “Bring me down” Thorg. I too hope they go with Dry Town for a fourth single if there is one!!
August 15, 2008 at 12:21 am Permalink
There’s no way Dry Town will get released, but I too would love it! If only for the fact that my town is mentioned in it!!
August 15, 2008 at 8:52 am Permalink
“Dry Town” best “single” off this CD. Can’t understand why no one in her camp can see this. “More like her” isn’t going anywhere as a single on country radio. The CD is great overall though, including “More like her”.
Why is it, that every woman I talk to doesn’t like Miranda, and every guy I talk to does?
August 15, 2008 at 9:12 am Permalink
Rich, maybe we should talk then.:)
This is pure speculation, but I wonder if they’re avoiding “Dry Town” because of the drinking and driving aspect of it?:
Well the road was hot and flat as a ruler
Good hundred miles between me and Missoula
That vinyl top wasn’t gettin’ no cooler
I stopped at a quickie sack
Well I figured I’d need about a sixth of Miller
And one of those things so I wouldn’t spill ‘er
I asked the girl if the beer was in the back
August 15, 2008 at 9:25 am Permalink
I just think it’s the overall sound of Dry Town which isn’t getting it released. The average Rascal Flatts fan would hate that, which is what radio is catering to. It’s a weird and risky song.
August 15, 2008 at 9:29 am Permalink
I havent heard Dry Town, but the lyrics LeeAnn posted sure dont impress me much.
August 15, 2008 at 9:36 am Permalink
Paula, I certainly don’t advocate drinking and driving, but the song is damn awesome, especially the guitar. Like Drew said, it probably wouldn’t fit on country radio though.
August 16, 2008 at 12:14 am Permalink
God bless Miranda Lambert. I love this song! I think it is one of her best songs, and this will help broaden her image. “Love Letters” and “Desperation” come in 3rd and 2nd compared to this song. And if radio doesn’t play “More Like Her”, well use your imagination.
P.S. Rich I’m a girl and I love her music. I don’t understand how anyone could hate her. Unless of course they’re more into the Carrie Underwood, Jessica Simpson, convert Miley to country kind of music.
August 17, 2008 at 8:10 pm Permalink
This strikes me as an odd choice for a single – DESPERATION and DRY TOWN, as others have noted, are both far more logical choices, and better songs to boot. Still, I hope this does well for her.
August 19, 2008 at 12:13 pm Permalink
I cannot imagine “Dry Town” as a single, for a variety of reasons.
August 19, 2008 at 12:21 pm Permalink
“Dry Town,” for one wouldn’t be relatable to anyone out of the south…
August 19, 2008 at 12:45 pm Permalink
excuse me, but we still have Dry Town’s in both Ohio and in Illinois — and I do not think that either one of those are considered the south….
August 19, 2008 at 1:36 pm Permalink
While I love the song, I can’t really imagine it as a single either. I’ve never lived in a small town, but I still enjoy the song. Then again, I don’t drink, but I love a good drinking song.
August 19, 2008 at 3:02 pm Permalink
Lannibug,
Wow. I thought only the south was like that. Though, to be fair I am sure there are ‘dry towns’ in Utah or fundamentalist Mormon areas of Colorado and Arizona.
August 19, 2008 at 3:04 pm Permalink
This is pure speculation, but I wonder if they’re avoiding “Dry Town” because of the drinking and driving aspect of it?:
Well the road was hot and flat as a ruler
Good hundred miles between me and Missoula
I doubt it. If she’s 100 miles from Missoula and the road is flat, she must be heading east meaning she’s still in Montana. I am pretty sure it’s still legal to drink and drive in that state. It might even be encouraged.
August 19, 2008 at 3:10 pm Permalink
I just think “Dry Town” can’t be a single because it’s — gasp! — too country.
August 19, 2008 at 3:33 pm Permalink
I actually don’t know if there are dry towns in Utah. You have to buy booze from state liquor stores, and the beer is only 3.2%, and in Utah county at least you can’t buy it on Sunday, but I haven’t heard of any actual dry towns.
August 19, 2008 at 3:45 pm Permalink
My sister lives in the Salt Lake City area and the beer there is the same as it is everywhere else in the country. The 3.2% law applies from 10-1 am at bars (which stop all spirit sales at 10 as well). There are also murmers that the state will revoke that law or the ‘private club’ law (the only places in the state where people can get ‘heavy’ beer and spirits after before noon and after 10 pm).
August 19, 2008 at 3:50 pm Permalink
“My sister lives in the Salt Lake City area and the beer there is the same as it is everywhere else in the country.”
I’ll see you one sister, and raise you 3 brothers!
We’ll need some official reference for this as I have always understood from my siblings, and my time spent drinking Utah beer, that the beer in the grocery store is 3.2%. That’s why you can’t get good craft or microbrews in the grocery store, or malt liquor, because of the higher proof.
I could definitely be wrong though.
August 19, 2008 at 5:05 pm Permalink
I got most of that info from Here.
That being said, You can get microbrews in state liquor stores, not grocery stores. Washington State has strict alcohol sale laws too (no hard liquor is sold privately, it’s all sold by the state and you can only buy beer and wine on Sunday).
August 19, 2008 at 5:38 pm Permalink
Wow! You guys have much knowledge!
August 19, 2008 at 5:46 pm Permalink
I tend to retain alot of knowledge but most of it isn’t actually applicable to a career (until now, lol)
August 19, 2008 at 5:48 pm Permalink
this pretty much clears everything up
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,335007968,00.html
August 19, 2008 at 6:01 pm Permalink
It most certainly does.
August 19, 2008 at 6:06 pm Permalink
Yay! Now that the mystery is solved, we can all sleep well tonight!:)
August 19, 2008 at 8:33 pm Permalink
Yeah, im afraid Dry Town is too country for “country” radio too. What has radio come too. I love that song though, its so unique and catchy and everything.
September 17, 2008 at 3:21 pm Permalink
I love this song soooo much!!
September 19, 2008 at 4:19 pm Permalink
Anyone know why they only let this song chart for about 3 weeks, make it to #51, and then pull the plug?
This song was awesome :(
September 21, 2008 at 11:40 pm Permalink
Nicolas the plug wasn’t pulled on this song yet it’s just not doing well right now. It’s actually up several spins over the last few days and climbed to 49 on the Mediabase charts, and I’m finally hearing it some on the radio now.
October 1, 2008 at 9:40 pm Permalink
More like her is climbing and about to chart, thanks to the hard work of the dedicated Ran Fans. Go Miranda!
January 5, 2009 at 8:52 am Permalink
Meh, this song isn’t grabbing me. Am I missing something?
January 20, 2009 at 12:12 pm Permalink
More like her is now TOP 20! …but i thought it wasnt gonna go top 30… silly me
June 24, 2009 at 12:38 pm Permalink
i really like this song her voice sounds amazing!!:)
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