Independent status seems to suit Kellie Pickler, who finds a happy medium between mainstream country sounds and more personal expression on her fourth album, The Woman I Am. After parting company with BNA Records, the former American Idol sweetheart signed with Black River Entertainment, tapped producers Frank Liddell and Luke Wooten (the team behind her underappreciated 2012 LP 100 Proof), and cut a superior batch of sassy twang numbers and self-revealing ballads. Key to this album are three standout tunes cowritten by Pickler: “Selma Drye” (a rollicking number inspired by the singer’s great-grandmother), “I Forgive You” (an anguished breakup tune of unusual depth and sensitivity), and “Bonnie and Clyde” (an ominous outlaw narrative with plenty of swampy atmosphere). From feisty rockers like “Ring for Sale” and “No Cure for Crazy” to bouncy old-school country tracks like “Buzzin’” and plaintive acoustic laments like “Tough All Over,” the album covers a wide swath of territory without stumbling. Pickler asserts her freedom in “Little Bit Gypsy” and spells out her flaws and virtues on the title tune.