Miranda Lambert is bold, funny and ready to rock again

Miranda Lambert is back, as bold and fun as she ever was, with a new album of rock and punk-influenced country hits that reflect a woman happily cracking jokes on her haters and stepping into a new chapter of her life and career. "I kind of have my fire back and I'm not so internal and broody as I was four years ago," Lambert said of "Wildcard," her seventh album dropping Friday.

This is her first solo record since putting out the excellent 2016 double album, "The Weight of These Wings," a highly personal and critically acclaimed record that came after her divorce from Blake Shelton and won album of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards.

"I'm 35. I went through a divorce," Lambert said. "I'm thankful that fans allowed me that time to do that. I'm just going through stuff everybody else goes through."

Now Lambert, who surprised many earlier this year by announcing her marriage to New York City police officer Brendan McLoughlin, is returning to the rock 'n' roll sound that she displayed on her 2005 debut "Kerosene" with the help of Nashville producer Jay Joyce. Joyce had played guitar on her first three records, but this was the first time he took the lead as producer for Lambert. 

"Writing for this record, I don't know, I felt like the color came back, so the imaging reflects that and the songs reflect that," said Lambert. "Even the wardrobe is a little bit brighter."