Carrie Underwood strikes again
She stole more than “Some Hearts” with her debut, but the Season 4 “American Idol” winner may have found an even better mix of music for her follow-up album. “Carnival Ride,” released earlier this week, is classic — if that’s possible — Carrie Underwood.
There’s nothing on “Carnival Ride” that’s anything too unexpected. And that’s a good thing. The CD is more country than the slightly pop-influenced debut, but it’s what we’ve come to expect from the Oklahoma girl — a multiple country music award winner. Not to mention the Grammy wins.
A definite standout on the new disc is “Just a Dream,” which tells the story of a military widow trying to find peace and understanding from her situation. The song is further proof Underwood is well on her way to enjoying a long career that could one day compare to country greats like Martina McBride and Reba McEntire.
In fact, many of the tracks on “Carnival Ride” have that same feel as McBride’s music. But the sophomore release isn’t all great. The low point for the disc is with track No. 10, a cover of Randy Travis’ “I Told You So.” Personally, I can’t get past the fact the song was made such a hit by Travis and now it’s been given a makeover. For me, it just doesn’t work. And I’d guess Randy Jackson would agree with me, dawg.
If you’ve heard the first single, “So Small,” you certainly can judge the entire album. The song is a true representation of what most of the 13 tracks have to offer. Will the CD enjoy the same success as her first release? Only time will tell, but it’s doubtful. Not because the music isn’t worthy of the success — it’s just much more country, and that doesn’t always translate into big album sales.
American Idol, Carrie Underwood, So Small, Carnival Ride, Some Hearts, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Randy Travis
November 7th, 2007 at 11:49 pm
[...] also performed on the show, spotlighting music from her sophomore CD, Carnival Ride. Later in the night, she took home one of the big awards, Female Vocalist of the Year. This was the [...]