Carrie Underwood - Play On
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CD Details
Artist: Carrie UnderwoodBrand: Baker & Taylor
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2009-11-03
Model: 00886974992325
Music Label: Sony Music Distribution
Soundtracks:
- Cowboy Casanova
- Quitter
- Mama's Song
- Change
- Undo It
- Someday When I Stop Loving You
- Songs Like This
- Temporary Home
- This Time
- Look At Me
- Unapologize
- What Can I Say (Featuring Sons of Sylvia)
- Play On
Music reviews of Play On
Music Review: What can I say aside from, "I LOVE YOU CARRIE!"
Rating: 4 Stars
Before I die I really, really want to see Carrie Underwood in concert. I know that sounds like a vain goal, but I've followed her glorious career since she first auditioned for A.I. and I strongly consider her not only the most deserving winner of the glorified personality contest, but she is one of the strongest voices in music today. The one good thing about a show like A.I. is that you cannot hide your blemishes behind lip-syncing or vocal recordings; what you hear is what you get. From her fist acapella it was obvious that Carrie was the real deal, and she has not stumbled vocally ONCE since then.
I only wish that she were a little more studious when it came to song selection.
Since her debut `Some Hearts', Carrie has cemented herself as a true Country Darling, and her third album is no exception. There are the fun, trashy songs in the same vein as `Before He Cheats' and `Last Name' as well as the catchy uptempo ballads like `Some Hearts', but of course she truly shines when she belts out the lovelorn scorchers like `I Know You Wont'.
So, what tracks on `Play On' stack up?
The album opens with the first single, `Cowboy Casanova', and the song is really, really fun. It's a great way to start the album because this style really suits Carrie. It shows off a spunk in personality that she didn't really showcase on the show. Her vocal gymnastics are really effective on these types of songs because they add a layer of uniqueness to them. We have heard many other Country starlets tackle this breed of music (Miranda Lambert comes to mind) but Carrie edges them out with her natural (and mind blowing) talent. `Songs Like This' completes the trilogy that is `Before He Cheats/Last Name'. It is just as fun and just as memorable.
`Undo It' has that catchy spunk of the aforementioned, but it also has a nice mellowness to the verse structure. It has a little `been-there-heard-that' effervescence to it, but it is still a very likable track.
Speaking of `been-there-heard-that', the one thing that concerns me about Carrie's albums is the amount of unremarkable generic tracks. She sounds impeccable on every one, but there are only a handful of songs that really stand out as truly impressive. Songs like `This Time', `Unapologize' and the title track `Play On' are just pleasantly forgettable. They sound great, and there is nothing wrong with them, but they are easily shrugged off as nothing special. `Quitter' is not forgettable, thankfully. I wasn't initially turned on by the way the verses were sung, but the song has such a bubbly frothiness to it that I can't help but adore it; and when Carrie hits that re-chorus she just illuminates with a radiant loveliness. There is a sweet softness to her voice here.
LOVE IT!
So now we get to the power ballads, those beautifully restrained tracks that showcase the beauty in this young woman's voice. There are a slew of them here (six to be exact), and a few of them are nothing short of miraculous. Sadly, a few of them are underwhelming too.
Let's get the `not so wonderful' out of the way first.
I want to make it clear that there is nothing wrong with the vocals or even the musical arrangements on `Change', `Someday When I Stop Loving You' or `Temporary Home', in fact on `Temporary Home' Carrie sounds nearly the best she does on the entire album (I love the shreds of vulnerability she evokes with her phrasing; which aids to the songs message). The issue I have with these songs is there near cheesy gimmicky quality. `Change' and `Temporary Home' are just far too `lets raise our voices and uplift the less fortunate'. I know that this is a common practice in the Country community (there are MANY songs like this within this genre) but sometimes it can just be too much. `Someday When I Stop Loving You' just sounds too familiar. There is nothing profound about it. It's beautiful, but I could see anyone singing it. It's not a defining song for Carrie.
But for the three that underperform, there are three that more than make up for it.
`Mama's Song' is going to grace many wedding dances, I promise you that. One could say that it is unfair for me to call out `Change' and `Temporary Home' and not mention the gimmicky `Mama's Song' in the same breath, but it is all about preference, and for me there is nothing wrong with the clichés in `Mama's Song'. First of all, it is sung impeccably, just utterly marvelous. The message is also beautifully handled. It is as much an ode to motherhood as it is to pure love between a man and a woman. The way she sings the chorus gives me chills. I love the lyrical content here; just perfection. If you want to see Carrie prove her vocals look no further than `Look At Me', a stunningly sincere ballad that allows Carrie to croon her Southern Twang better than the rest of them.
Personally, nothing on the album compares to the beautiful `What Can I Say' featuring Sons of Sylvia. This is one of the most tragically authentic `break up' songs I've ever heard, with vocals that nearly bring me to tears (I love it when a single voice can move you in such powerful ways).
So, after listening to this album it should be clear why, on my deathbed, I'm going to hope and pray that I've had the chance to see this gorgeous (OMG she is beautiful) young woman sing live.
Description of Play On
2009 release from the four-time Grammy Award winner and former American Idol winner. Carrie has come a long way since her AI days including selling more than 10 million albums, garnering ACM and CMA awards and becoming the first Country artist in history to achieve 10 #1 singles from her first two albums. To top that all off, she was also recently inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame! This 2009 album includes the first single 'Cowboy Casanova'.Broadway & Vocalists CDs
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