Consumer Guide Album

Elle King: Come Get Your Wife [RCA, 2023]
Near as I can tell by quickly checking back, the third album by a marginal Nashvillean who was inspired to take up music by none other than the Donnas is her sharpest so far. She's always fast, loose, and long on attitude, although it's hard to imagine her ever topping "I'm gonna try Jesus/See what all the fuss is about/Thinkin' I should try Jesus/'Cause every other man let me down." Fortunately for us, this experiment doesn't work either. Not only does it leave room for the Miranda Lambert cowrite "Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)," which follows all too immediately. It also provides varied ways for her to spell Tulsa backward, pass out goodnight kisses, and make the most of a bad reputation she's proud she's earned. A-