The9513 Review Of Play On (No, really. It's actually worth reading.)
The reason this is worth reading is that it's done by a guy who used to write at Country Universe and he's always been very fair about Carrie. It's a 3 out of 5 star review. He's very complimentary of her voice but not so much on a lot of the songs. He didn't mention TH (he's been posting @ Pulse and he doesn't dislike it but he says it didn't touch him) and he's not that big on her writing. He wants her singing better songs.
Reality-show prodigy turned down-home diva, Carrie Underwood has earned little critical praise despite moving over 10 million albums since her 2005 American Idol win. Nashville’s now the stomping ground for ‘80s pop-rock refugees, and Underwood’s widely viewed as a key cog in the nouveau Music Row machine–with high-minded traditionalists blanching at her country bona fides.
Despite her scratchy connection with country’s yesteryear, Underwood’s racked up a laundry list of industry honors with just two albums under her belt buckle, a reward for her gentle, tuneful voice and wholesome brand of straight-ahead twang pop. Her third disc, Play On, starts promisingly, with a whiff of boozy, barroom novelty. The playful “Cowboy Casanova,” an ode to a hard-to-keep lothario, plows along to a grungy electric guitar laced with a curling pedal steel line. This all-American girl, it seems, means serious business.
The remaining 45 minutes, though, are more Hallmark than honky tonk. Play On is a tastefully-done pop pleasure, with little of the pretentious production that gutted much of her first two discs. Better still, Underwood’s found new creases in her sweetly-Southern voice, an engaging instrument that’s grown with each album. She’s in a cheerful frame of mind these days, too: the joy she’s found in her budding romance with hockey star Mike Fisher makes the tender-hearted love songs sound like gossip night with the girls.
At her best, Underwood excels at handling the finest storytelling that Nashville has to offer. The album’s strongest track is “Someday When I Stop Loving You,” a brooding tune framed beautifully by her delicate performance, while “What Can I Say,” a collaboration with sibling trio Sons of Sylvia, is a simple, elegant declaration of longing. And the all-American girl even delivers a tart-tongued reading of the spunky, Shania-esque “Songs Like This.”
Play On, though, leans heavily on the polish of Underwood’s still-golden pipes. Too often she’s trying to outact a bad script, with a heap of platonic platitudes laid out over these sleek, bright rhythms. Underwood co-wrote seven of the thirteen cuts, and she clogs songs with stale ideas that dent the impact of her soaring soprano. Given the chief hooks of “Undo It” (a severely-processed uptempo romp) and “Unapologize” (a nice slice of swirling pop-rock), it’s a mild shock that Diane Warren doesn’t rest among the whopping twenty-five songwriters listed in the credits. Treacly anthems like “Change” and the title cut are a killjoy, too: “The smallest thing can make all the difference,” she swears on the former, aping her #1 smash, “So Small.”
“Play on, when you’re losin’ the game,” she insists meekly, as the final notes fade. Underwood’s hired guns hand her no favors; successful pop-rock collaborators, chief among them Idol judge Kara DioGuardi and Swedish hooksmith Max Martin, contribute little to an often-dull conversation.
No matter, as Play On will plant itself firmly atop the charts for months to come, and Underwood’s warbling saves a good deal of the dreck. With the herd of hard-charging teens now drenching the airwaves, it’s hard to believe that Underwood’s only 26. Near the top ranks of mainstream music for four years running, the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year has long proven to be an unstoppable force. Play On, though saddled with its share of loose songwriting, is a convincing reminder of a blonde, budding talent.
Whew! What a relief! I agree, they were not as harsh as I feared they would be.... I was so relieved that it wasn't that Jim Malec guy who wrote the review, he seems to dislike Carrie so much. Overall I think it was a fair review, love that he is so positive about Carrie's voice - I will always think highly of him for that
Thanks!
Malec must be fuming on why he didn't get the honor.
I think he really hit it with this:
Quote:
Play On is a tastefully-done pop pleasure, with little of the pretentious production that gutted much of her first two discs. Better still, Underwood’s found new creases in her sweetly-Southern voice, an engaging instrument that’s grown with each album. She’s in a cheerful frame of mind these days, too: the joy she’s found in her budding romance with hockey star Mike Fisher makes the tender-hearted love songs sound like gossip night with the girls.
At her best, Underwood excels at handling the finest storytelling that Nashville has to offer. The album’s strongest track is “Someday When I Stop Loving You,” a brooding tune framed beautifully by her delicate performance, while “What Can I Say,” a collaboration with sibling trio Sons of Sylvia, is a simple, elegant declaration of longing. And the all-American girl even delivers a tart-tongued reading of the spunky, Shania-esque “Songs Like This.”
There will be a learning curve as Carrie is thrust in the position of handleing writing credits when she is a part of a genre of music that arguably writes the best music in the business. But she is growing and growing. I too, find myself sometimes find myself wishing she would leave the writing to the pro's, but PO has really changed my mind. She is growing, changing, and with the exposure to writing that she is getting, we enjoy more and more of who Carrie is. Not just a collection of songs sung by a fantastic singer.
everyone go leave a positive message on the review to thank him and also to naysay some negative things about the review from the comments on the site.
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ok love this one too!!!
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Thank you for my set Court! Saw And Met The Cast Of Wicked On 10/07/06 And 11/26/06!I Met Carrie On March 22nd!!!! Saw Carrie At Her Fan Club Party In Nashville On 6/03/08! Met Carrie AGAIN October 6th!
Based on the reviews, I think SWISLY (most likely) or WCIS will be the next single.
Either of those would be fine with me because they're both great songs and Carrie sings them great. I would LOVE to see some live performances of SWISLY. As long as they keep it in the special we've got a WCIS performance to look forward to.
I still think TH deserves consideration to be a single because IMO if people hear it, they'll feel it. It hasn't been getting review love for some reason despite Carrie's amazing singing so we'll see.
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