Country music is the only genre that romanticises the craft of songwriting, and The Marfa Tapes is a late-night love letter to its legend. Miranda Lambert and colleagues Jack Ingram and Jon Randall set out for West Texas with nothing but an acoustic guitar and a notepad full of ideas.
They documented early takes, traded lead vocals, and worked on harmonies while recording these 15 songs on a desert ranch. They laughed jokes and reassured each other in between songs, poured shots, and marvelled at their surroundings.
They’re laid-back and pleasant, even euphoric, as they go to work in an accompanying documentary. “Not every business decision has to be a business one,” Lambert says of their method. “Music is something I miss.”
This music is like a vacation on record, somewhere between a demo collection, a live album with no audience, and a lo-fi left turn. Lambert’s studio albums have always been conceived as expansive travelogues, dynamic enough to accommodate radio singles, sincere tributes, and winking in-jokes.
The Marfa Tapes thrives in this expansive landscape just beyond the mainstream, much like the trio’s 2016 double album The Weight of These Wings, which featured the trio’s first collaborations.
When it lacks the gravitas of her more polished albums, it is linked by a calming sense of serenity that runs across tunes that sound like hits (“Anchor,” a ballad sung by Ingram) and tracks that hit (“Tin Man,” a solo rendition of Lambert’s 2016 song).
Each of these performances is a collaboration, and none of them aspires to be the final version. The Marfa Tapes, a departure from the high-stakes world of country radio, focuses on the simple pleasures of songwriting and delivery, presenting the group’s music as something wide open and alive, with room to alter and suit their moods.
Lambert tries a faltering read of the title somewhere along the line in the chugging, old-school “Geraldene,” igniting a flame in her partners and bringing the energy closer to Southern rock territory.
Even the rhyming pattern of “Homegrown Tomatoes” (“See ya later alligator/We’re U.S. prime/Weed and wine/Homegrown tomaterrs”) makes the trio laugh out loud. These recordings can transport you beside them if you’re in the appropriate mood.
Following 2019’s Grammy-winning Wildcard, The Marfa Tapes serves as a useful pivot: a campfire summit for country lifers who share Lambert’s belief that the most exciting part of songwriting is when it’s all still up in the air, much like Lambert’s supergroup Pistol Annies, which formed a righteous utopia after Lambert’s mainstream success.
The music is at its best when it’s lighter, while one of the ballads is among the trio’s best work. The opening track, “In His Arms,” is a stunner: a future classic whose ageless appeal is amplified by the simplicity of the presentation.
Rolling stones and tumbleweed, cowboys and tequila: the words offer a basic overview of the imagery that underlies a release like this. Lambert sings of the one who got away, longing for a moment when they may all be together again. Every time the chorus comes around, Randall strums his guitar and joins Ingram for harmonies. They’re singing about better days to come, but they’re also making the present sound fairly nice.
Is “The Marfa Tapes” on HBO Max?
“The Marfa Tapes” has not planned its premiere on HBO Max. Haute Dog, The Prince are best series from HBO max.
Is “The Marfa Tapes” on Netflix?
“The Marfa Tapes” is not going to launch on Netflix. Squid Game, Money Heist are best choices.
Is “The Marfa Tapes” on Hulu?
“The Marfa Tapes” is not going to debut on Hulu. Holly Hobbie, The Bravest Knight are best choices.
Is “The Marfa Tapes” on Prime Video?
“The Marfa Tapes” is not going to release on Prime Video. Absentia, This is Us are best alternatives.
Is “The Marfa Tapes” on Paramount+?
On January 20, Paramount+ will release The Marfa Tapes. It is not possible to get Paramount Plus for free. There are two options for this service: an ad-supported Essential Plan and an ad-free Premium Plan.
The Essential Plan costs $4.99 per month without any discounts, while the Premium Plan costs $9.99 per month. The Essential plan costs $49.99 per year (saving customers 16 percent or roughly $10 compared to the monthly pricing), while the Premium plan costs $99.99 per year (saving users 16 percent or around $20 compared to the monthly price).