“Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)
Elle King and Miranda Lambert
Written by Elle King and Martin Johnson
Elle King and Miranda Lambert’s collaboration is random in its timing, but still pretty exciting when you consider the prospects of, you know, Elle King collaborating with Miranda Lambert.
Granted, I’d argue both artists are at their best when they’re raising hell, and while “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” is the sort of predictable would-be-club-hit-if-it-weren’t-for-the-pandemic song that both artists could sing in their sleep, it works. King, as always, is utilizing that gritty rasp that, as always, sounds murderous on the throat, and I’ve always liked her better as an interpreter when she’s aiming to sell a huge hook instead of a ballad. It’s what “Ex’s and “Oh’s” and “America’s Sweetheart” are made of, and this is another monster hook that I predict will kill live … again, when that’s once again a thing.
The production is a little on-the-nose in trying to make the pop-rock and country crossover mesh well together, but with the huge percussive elements bolstered by the bouncy banjo and fiddle interplay, it does what it needs in bolstering that hoom. I just wish there was a little more groove to it and that there was better interplay between the two vocalists. Both sound great, but Lambert isn’t doing much here, and this could have easily been a King solo cut.
Grade: B-
As much of a Lambert fan as I am, I have to agree that she didn’t bring anything special to this song. King is the one who vocally shines and it sounds like Miranda was trying to copy Elle’s vocal style rather than bring her own style to it, which is unfortunate.
Ghastly video but the song is okay – agree that this song could have easily been a solo effort for either King or Lambert without anything being lost in the process
What’s funny is how “retro” Elle actually is vocally. If you listen to “Ex’s And Oh’s”, you could make a plausible argument that, albeit unintentionally, she sounds a bit like a combination of Brenda Lee and Wanda Jackson. She’ll probably wear that voice out in a hurry doing that raspy vocal style, of course, so she might want to either take it easy with it or enhance her range.
As for this song–it’s not the best thing I’ve heard in my life, but it sure isn’t the worst either. I don’t know that I could ever really like Miranda, though I don’t begrudge her fans for doing so.
The opening just hits different. The first verse in intoxicating and both ladies sounds great!
…and then the bridge and chorus hits and the song loses its edge. It’s not bad after that, but it’s not the same anymore.