IdolHeadEd.com - A Sharp, a Flat, and Play Off: Carrie Underwood Review

JLynn206 writes
Usually, a Carrie CD comes out and I am blaring it in my car for at least a month straight. I fully expected this to continue with Carrie Underwood’s newest CD, “Play On,” but alas, this has not been the case.

Like many fans, I had heard some of the songs before the official release. Immediately, I loved the clip of “Songs like This,” but wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the rest of it. I got the cd the first day it came out, and was completely disappointed. This CD takes a vocal step back for Carrie. Maybe, she needed a break when she was on tour. But the last CD had tour de force vocals, and this one is a disappointment.

I am not a fan of country music, but can usually enjoy it the more pop it is, and the more fantastic a female vocalist is. Carrie usually provides me with both. However, without major vocal jumps, sustained notes, and interesting runs, this CD is a letdown. These vocalizations are also what distract from the cheesy country lyrics that are always on any country CD, and this CD does not disappoint on the cheesy lyrics!

Let’s go through it Track by Track:

(1) “Cowboy Cassanova” (Underwood, Elizondo, James) The first single being the up-tempo is probably the only new part of the formula here. I would have guessed “Change” would have been released first. It’s got heavy drum backing, with many back up singers doing some “oooh ooohs” and Carrie is doing her sassy thing. It’s the same complaint that I have for Kelly Clarkson and Eminem sometimes. Can we have some new and different song content? It’s catchy, it tries to be sexy and mostly succeeds, but I was over it after I’d heard it once.

Best Lyric: “So I’ll say it again, cause I been where you been, and I know how it ends”
Worst Lyric: “He looks like a cool drink a water but he’s candy coated misery.”
Grade: B+

(2) “Quitter” (Martin, Shellback, Kotecha) At first I didn’t understand this song. Then it actually started to grow on me. I love the detached verses, and the chorus is one of the catchiest on the whole cd. The thing I like about this song is it sounds really personal, but then you realize that this is one of the songs she didn’t write on. At the same time, Carrie is really sweet, smart, level headed, pretty, and happy. This is the kind of CD you get from someone with all of those things.

Best Lyric: “And I believe that nothing lasts forever, you stay with me, keeping us together”
Worst Lyric: “Cause throughout my history of only being with jerks”
Grade: A

(3) “Mama’s Song” (Underwood, DioGuardi, Fredricksen, Laird) These kind of songs make me gag. They are just un-relatable to me. Like the one about her leaving for college and calling her nana off the first CD. I mean, all a mother wants is for all of us to find the right man. Right? Anyway, this will surely be a country radio hit, but there’s a reason these kinds of songs never cross over to pop radio.

Best lyric: Um....yeah
Worst lyric: “He treats your little girl like a real man should”
Grade: C

(4) “Change” (Elam, Kear, Tompkins) Possibly written specifically for the next Idol Gives Back? Thoughts? It’s fine. Also, one of the more catchy songs on a cd full of forgettable songs. It’s up lifting without being vomit inducing like “Temporary Home.” It’s “So Small” without the really good jump up to the D#.

Best lyric: “The world’s so big it could break your heart”
Worst lyric: “Whatcha gonna do with the 36 cents, sticky with coke on your floorboard”
Grade: B

(5) “Undo it” (Underwood, DioGuardi, Fredricksen, Laird)
At first, I thought this song was ridiculous. Now, I think it is ridiculous and awesome! It is the second catchiest song on the whole CD, mostly because it wavers on obnoxious.

Best lyrics: U-u-u-u-u-u-u-undo it! (duh)
Worst lyrics: “Took the lonely and took me for a ride” (isn’t taking the lonely a positive thing?)
Grade: B +

(6) “Someday when I Stop Loving You” (Lindsey, McEwan, Sampson)
If someone who you liked for awhile just shut you down, this song would certainly make you want to jump off a bridge. It’s pretty, simple, and moving in that country kind of way. If you made me guess a song that Hillary Lindsey wrote on, I would have guessed this one, and I would have been right. It also reminds me of a throw back to Crystal Gayle.

Best lyric: “When the desert floods and the grass turns blue”
Worst lyric: “I remember that night when we laid in bed, naming all our kids we hadn’t had yet”
Grade: A

(7) “Songs Like This” (Dodsen, Flowers, Shapiro)
Cliché, and simple and fun! This is my favorite song on the album. It’s what Carrie should be, simple lyrics that are attached to a tune so catchy you don’t even listen to them. That’s my Carrie!!! Turn it up loud in your car and bounce along!

Lyrics: Who Cares!
Grade: A+

(8) “Temporary Home” (Underwood, Laird, Maloy)
This song makes my skin crawl. Yes, foster kids everywhere have smiles on their faces, because they know this is only their temporary home. This is straight up Christian Contemporary.

Lyrics: all bad...very bad. “Jesus Takes the Wheel” without the sweeping sustained notes.
Grade: F

(9) “This Time” (Lindsey, McEwan, Sampson)
There may not be a song more inconsequential this side of a Kim Locke album. It just has no point, goes nowhere, and could have been written by a ten year old. Unless, it’s about having sex, and that makes it make a little more sense. But, I don’t think an Underwood song is about the moment before you decide to have sex....therefore, the song makes no sense. You should know, Carrie’s heart is bustin at the seams.

Lyrics: all pointless
Grade: D

(10) “Look at Me” (Collins, Overstreet)
Is Overstreet the exact opposite of Underwood? Just a question. A ballad that apparently is an Alan Jackson cover? I don’t listen to country, so I’ve never heard the original. This reminds me of the cover on her last album, “I Told You So.” If you listen really hard you can hear the sound of me skipping this snooze fest.

Lyrics: Darling Look at me.....blah blah blah
Grade: C

(11) “Unapologize” (Underwood, Lindsey, Maida, Kreviazuk)
This song grew on me a little, but the chorus gets a little grating. It’s sweet though, she let I love you slip out and she apologized, and now she’s like eff that I do love you. Well, Carrie would never say eff that... It’s a decent song.

Lyrics: Not gonna bother anymore, listing lyrics, that is......
Grade: B

(12) “What Can I Say” (Underwood, Hodges, McEwan)
Who are Sons of Sylvia, you ask? Who knows. Maybe if I was getting paid to write this I would bother to Google them. This is a nice pretty ballad, lots of head voice from Carrie. I usually skip it, cause it’s just not my jive. If you like trying to spin the world the other way, you should listen. I also have no use for the guy singing, who I am assuming is a Son of Sylvia?

Grade: B

(13) “Play On” (Underwood, Hemby Laird)
If I had to choose between this and “Carnival Ride” I would probably choose this, but only because it’s a little less cliché and terrible then “Carnival Ride.”

Grade: C

CD Average: C

What do you think?

This is Jlynn206@aol.com