teesharky
Well-known member
I think some haters might have multiple accounts. It’s sad.
Carrie Underwood Fans
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Cry Pretty Album Reviews
- Thread starter Kizmet311
- Start date
I think some haters might have multiple accounts. It’s sad.
lilangel
Well-known member
What??? Low and GoTS?!?!?!?! No way!
So funny that 2 of my favourites are someones least...
While writing 2 of my favourites I came to the realisation that more that the half of the songs of the album are my favourite, lol!
pklongbeach
Active member
Ha ha ha to all the fans of Low, I am sure most of my feeling about it is based on placement and pacing for the front of the album. Somehow in my head it is just so close to CP that it sounds like the same song almost back to back. If it were else where I would probably not feel that way. I think the same thing of GOTS (though I have more serious reservations about that one..)
But before I get drug out of here by the neck, let me say, There are songs on this album that I absolutely love!! Interestingly they are the ones in the middle that have so much of the pop/R&B influence. I can not stop singing TSTWMLT it is completely ingrained in my brain. And Southbound (not r&b) is probably my favorite "party song" she has ever done. Much more convincing than OWT which I hated...
I love her voice on Backsliding (which could easily catch on at pop radio as could TSTWMLT). And I really like EUWY also. I really just love the whole thing!! The placement of Bullet/Spinning Bottles and Love Wins is brilliant! It's a perfect release from the heavy content of the two songs both of which are very Carrie and very effective.
Very satifsying album and I have listened to it now back to back probably 6 times......
But before I get drug out of here by the neck, let me say, There are songs on this album that I absolutely love!! Interestingly they are the ones in the middle that have so much of the pop/R&B influence. I can not stop singing TSTWMLT it is completely ingrained in my brain. And Southbound (not r&b) is probably my favorite "party song" she has ever done. Much more convincing than OWT which I hated...
I love her voice on Backsliding (which could easily catch on at pop radio as could TSTWMLT). And I really like EUWY also. I really just love the whole thing!! The placement of Bullet/Spinning Bottles and Love Wins is brilliant! It's a perfect release from the heavy content of the two songs both of which are very Carrie and very effective.
Very satifsying album and I have listened to it now back to back probably 6 times......
pklongbeach
Active member
BTW, I need to get this off my chest. I am deply troubled by what I have read regarding content on Triggers web page. I have not gone there to read it for two reasons, I don't want to give attention to it, and I don't want to be further hurt by the allogation.
But I will say that the very idea that a woman like Carrie Underwood, a mother, a wife, a Christian would be accused of using the death of her unborn children to make money for herself is so shockingly low that I dispair for that mans conscience. I think of Mike having to read something like about his wife and wish he had the chance to hear the man say it to his face so he could punch him right in the nose! (I don't advocate violence but the level of disrespect toward a woman and her family is so low that its just unforgivable).
I pray she hears nothing of such things. And I will NEVER go to that sight again except to blow up on him if I finally feel I have to defend her from such sickness.
I jjust needed to get that off my chest. I can hardly stand the thought of her having to hear things like that after what she has gone through.
And I continue to feel blessed that she does share with other women that she is equally human and not afraid to talk about things that might help someone who is going through the same thing... Sadness...….
But I will say that the very idea that a woman like Carrie Underwood, a mother, a wife, a Christian would be accused of using the death of her unborn children to make money for herself is so shockingly low that I dispair for that mans conscience. I think of Mike having to read something like about his wife and wish he had the chance to hear the man say it to his face so he could punch him right in the nose! (I don't advocate violence but the level of disrespect toward a woman and her family is so low that its just unforgivable).
I pray she hears nothing of such things. And I will NEVER go to that sight again except to blow up on him if I finally feel I have to defend her from such sickness.
I jjust needed to get that off my chest. I can hardly stand the thought of her having to hear things like that after what she has gone through.
And I continue to feel blessed that she does share with other women that she is equally human and not afraid to talk about things that might help someone who is going through the same thing... Sadness...….
pkc4rls
Active member
i was going to say that too about the comparison ha ha. Those two songs are not remotely similar at all imo lol
Now at 70. B+ (83) from AV club https://music.avclub.com/a-rare-view-of-prince-plus-metric-and-more-in-this-wee-1829208566
teesharky
Well-known member
That's good. I want her to at least stay at 70. She derserves better but it is what it is.
I am starting to think Billboard won't review it? Wouldn't they have done so by now?
Same with Country/Nash Weekly. That counts on Metacritic but I do not see any reviews. Odd.
So not one country critic will be reviewing this. That's really unfair. Most of these indy bloggers have no clue about country music.
I am starting to think Billboard won't review it? Wouldn't they have done so by now?
Same with Country/Nash Weekly. That counts on Metacritic but I do not see any reviews. Odd.
So not one country critic will be reviewing this. That's really unfair. Most of these indy bloggers have no clue about country music.
stan
Active member
Louisa
Well-known member
They gave the album a Grade A rating. ?Cry Pretty? ? Carrie Underwood Remains Triumphant | The Connector
https://yourlifeinasong.com/album-review-carrie-underwood-cry-pretty
https://bellesandgals.com/2018/09/27/carrie-underwood-cry-pretty-in-the-round-album-review/
https://millardwestcatalyst.com/4718/entertainment/cry-pretty-is-pretty-amazing/
https://bpsvoices.com/2018/09/24/music-monday-cry-pretty-album-review/
?Cry Pretty? by Carrie Underwood Review « The Reflector Online
https://yourlifeinasong.com/album-review-carrie-underwood-cry-pretty
https://bellesandgals.com/2018/09/27/carrie-underwood-cry-pretty-in-the-round-album-review/
https://millardwestcatalyst.com/4718/entertainment/cry-pretty-is-pretty-amazing/
https://bpsvoices.com/2018/09/24/music-monday-cry-pretty-album-review/
?Cry Pretty? by Carrie Underwood Review « The Reflector Online
Louisa
Well-known member
This reviewer gave the album 4 stars. https://tuftsdaily.com/arts/2018/10/03/carrie-underwood-records-fourth-no-1-album-cries-pretty/
http://www.brockportstylus.org/news/article/current/2018/10/02/101082/cry-pretty-carrie-underwood
http://www.msureporter.com/2018/10/...eview-carrie-underwoods-new-album-cry-pretty/
http://www.brockportstylus.org/news/article/current/2018/10/02/101082/cry-pretty-carrie-underwood
http://www.msureporter.com/2018/10/...eview-carrie-underwoods-new-album-cry-pretty/
Claire2004
Active member
Popmatters review:
[h=1]Carrie Underwood Plays with the Formula on 'Cry Pretty'[/h]
JUSTIN COBER-LAKE
Six albums in, Carrie Underwood knows what works. Formally, she's pinned down the formula and employs it to full effect on Cry Pretty. She nods to country tradition, she takes some thick pop production, and she stuffs the album with ballads that build until she can release that big voice, throwing in just enough bounce across the disc to keep things interesting. If Underwood falls into a formulaic trap, though, she possesses enough artistic sensibility to push above it. While Cry Prettyis neither as controversial as has been hinted (though never accepted) nor musically groundbreaking, Underwood does show the sort of skill that brought her from American Idolcontestant to the top of her industry. Even so, it leaves plenty of room for where she could go next.
The lead single title track encapsulates much of what the album's about, both sonically and lyrically. Underwood acknowledges hurt, but she asserts authenticity and, in a climactic chorus, finds strength even in that moment. The imagery around both the single and the album gets to it: Underwood's mascara runs, but it maintains the purple glitter of something better than tears. She'll spend the rest of the disc weaving in and out of these ideas. Given the persistence of her songwriting form, it could become wearying, but she performs too well for that to quite happen. Her phrasing on the chorus of "Cry Pretty", likely the commercial hinge of the album, is impeccable, revealing the care in her craft.
That track puts Underwood right in her comfort zone, and she's largely happy to stay there. Pop-country meditations on relationships suit her well, especially if they use slow builds. "Drinking Alone" makes a nice entry into the catalogue and the line "we should be drinking alone, together", particularly as Underwood delivers it, makes a simple but very effective expression of that mood. Underwood loses herself in the narrative of the song and creates one of her more memorable characters.
When she gets out of that groove on Cry Pretty, she has mixed results. The generic "Southbound" is a dead clunker. It's a party anthem that sounds confused; it would work better as an indictment of the culture she describes rather than an idealization of it, especially given her more cutting take a few tracks later on "Spinning Bottles". "That Song That We Used to Make Love To" offers some unexpected sounds, verging on R&B. It's a nice change of pace, but Underwood doesn't quite pull it off, and it sounds out of place. "Low", more in her wheelhouse, shows what she could be doing, more sparsely produced numbers that emphasize not only Underwood's voice but also her delivery. Subtler percussion would make the track a classic, letting the singer dig into the song itself and highlighting the person in the middle of it.
Two of the songs have generated not controversy, but talk about how they could have been controversial, and neither cut warrants so much conversation (yet here we go again). "The Bullet" makes noise simply because a country singer talks about guns with some leeriness. The track's not anti-gun, or even addressing gun issues – what mainstream singer's up for that after the outrage Eric Church prompted with mild comments – but it tells of the sadness around someone being killed unnecessarily, the line "the bullet keeps on going" offering insight into the web of effects brought about my murder. But it's broad theme – being killed by a gun is bad – leaves it too vague to be truly effective. It's apolitical and a-personal. Likewise "Love Wins" offers a fairly generic call to unity and hope in an era or partisanship. It speaks, briefly, of prejudice, but by covering race, gender, and party politics, it becomes a bland call to come together, admirable enough, but not exactly rallying.
Across Cry Pretty, we get plenty of Underwood-as-expected with just a little of Underwood-as-unexpected (the bonus track "The Champion" with Ludacris makes for a surprisingly fun pop anthem). Her voice, as a vocalist, never falters. Her voice as a lyricist (she co-wrote two-thirds of the songs) tends to drift just a little, with the more specific songs working better. With the thick production on the album, it models radio trends but doesn't advance them. Given Underwood's talents, it would be exciting to see her craft a character-driven album and some quieter production.
https://www.popmatters.com/carrie-underwood-cry-pretty-2609795499.html?rebelltitem=3#rebelltitem3
[h=1]Carrie Underwood Plays with the Formula on 'Cry Pretty'[/h]
JUSTIN COBER-LAKE
Six albums in, Carrie Underwood knows what works. Formally, she's pinned down the formula and employs it to full effect on Cry Pretty. She nods to country tradition, she takes some thick pop production, and she stuffs the album with ballads that build until she can release that big voice, throwing in just enough bounce across the disc to keep things interesting. If Underwood falls into a formulaic trap, though, she possesses enough artistic sensibility to push above it. While Cry Prettyis neither as controversial as has been hinted (though never accepted) nor musically groundbreaking, Underwood does show the sort of skill that brought her from American Idolcontestant to the top of her industry. Even so, it leaves plenty of room for where she could go next.
The lead single title track encapsulates much of what the album's about, both sonically and lyrically. Underwood acknowledges hurt, but she asserts authenticity and, in a climactic chorus, finds strength even in that moment. The imagery around both the single and the album gets to it: Underwood's mascara runs, but it maintains the purple glitter of something better than tears. She'll spend the rest of the disc weaving in and out of these ideas. Given the persistence of her songwriting form, it could become wearying, but she performs too well for that to quite happen. Her phrasing on the chorus of "Cry Pretty", likely the commercial hinge of the album, is impeccable, revealing the care in her craft.
That track puts Underwood right in her comfort zone, and she's largely happy to stay there. Pop-country meditations on relationships suit her well, especially if they use slow builds. "Drinking Alone" makes a nice entry into the catalogue and the line "we should be drinking alone, together", particularly as Underwood delivers it, makes a simple but very effective expression of that mood. Underwood loses herself in the narrative of the song and creates one of her more memorable characters.
When she gets out of that groove on Cry Pretty, she has mixed results. The generic "Southbound" is a dead clunker. It's a party anthem that sounds confused; it would work better as an indictment of the culture she describes rather than an idealization of it, especially given her more cutting take a few tracks later on "Spinning Bottles". "That Song That We Used to Make Love To" offers some unexpected sounds, verging on R&B. It's a nice change of pace, but Underwood doesn't quite pull it off, and it sounds out of place. "Low", more in her wheelhouse, shows what she could be doing, more sparsely produced numbers that emphasize not only Underwood's voice but also her delivery. Subtler percussion would make the track a classic, letting the singer dig into the song itself and highlighting the person in the middle of it.
Two of the songs have generated not controversy, but talk about how they could have been controversial, and neither cut warrants so much conversation (yet here we go again). "The Bullet" makes noise simply because a country singer talks about guns with some leeriness. The track's not anti-gun, or even addressing gun issues – what mainstream singer's up for that after the outrage Eric Church prompted with mild comments – but it tells of the sadness around someone being killed unnecessarily, the line "the bullet keeps on going" offering insight into the web of effects brought about my murder. But it's broad theme – being killed by a gun is bad – leaves it too vague to be truly effective. It's apolitical and a-personal. Likewise "Love Wins" offers a fairly generic call to unity and hope in an era or partisanship. It speaks, briefly, of prejudice, but by covering race, gender, and party politics, it becomes a bland call to come together, admirable enough, but not exactly rallying.
Across Cry Pretty, we get plenty of Underwood-as-expected with just a little of Underwood-as-unexpected (the bonus track "The Champion" with Ludacris makes for a surprisingly fun pop anthem). Her voice, as a vocalist, never falters. Her voice as a lyricist (she co-wrote two-thirds of the songs) tends to drift just a little, with the more specific songs working better. With the thick production on the album, it models radio trends but doesn't advance them. Given Underwood's talents, it would be exciting to see her craft a character-driven album and some quieter production.
https://www.popmatters.com/carrie-underwood-cry-pretty-2609795499.html?rebelltitem=3#rebelltitem3
Farawayhills
Well-known member
Belles and Gals, A UK site focusing on supporting women in Country Music, asked their writers to choose their four favourite songs from the album to review
https://bellesandgals.com/2018/09/27/carrie-underwood-cry-pretty-in-the-round-album-review/
Low – Megan Roberts (twitter.com/megwritesalot)
‘Low’ is an extremely emotive song that captures feeling down in powerful metaphors. There are so many sad songs out there, and this is a fresh outlook which finds new ways to describe a complex feeling in a straightforward way. My favourite thing about this is the vocal and instrumental progression throughout. The track starts with minimalistic guitar and then builds at a gradual pace, giving Carrie an opportunity to express emotion in her strong voice. I also really like the traditional country ‘twang’ in the background which is the icing on the cake of this well-rounded song.
Kingdom – Lesley Hastings (twitter.com/lesleyhastings)
Cowritten by her alongside hugely successful Nashville writer Chris DeStefano ( who has already had multiple cuts on Carrie’s previous albums, including Something In The Water and Smoke Break) and the city’s Dave Barnes ( a prolific recording artist in his own right, who has written for numerous country artists including Danielle Bradbury, Blake Shelton, Terri Clark and Reba) this track is a touching tribute to her home and family, aka her “Kingdom”. Lyrically there’s consequently a lot of syrupy sweetness at times which I guess may attract criticism from some quarters, but I’m taking that with a large pinch of salt in this review!
While there’s no doubt that Carrie is one of the vocal powerhouses when it comes to female country artists today, which is evident in abundance on this album, sometimes I just want to hear the sweet, understated side of her voice and this is what happens at the start of this song. With just simplest of acoustic guitar and haunting steel accompaniment, she gently sings about what makes her home special to her in the first verse, things like “the creaky board on the front porch” and “the kitchen table where we say our prayers”. This simplicity continues in the first chorus, which contains the beautiful lines about her home being “ perfectly imperfect, it’s worth more than it’s worth”.
With drums kicking in and her vocals stepping up a gear, we hear in verse two about the harder times that she still wouldn’t change as they’ve helped make her and her family who they are. The track progresses with fuller instrumentation and backing vocals ( which even seem to include a choir ) being added, which naturally means Carrie’s voice has to soar above this cacophony of sound, something she’s more than capable of doing of course when she sings about “ our names carved out in that old oak tree” and “ the love we have that will stand the test of time” .
But to tell you the truth I’d rather she hadn’t have had to, I’d love to hear this touching song a lot less produced and left as a simple, stripped back number which would have really contrasted with the rest of the album. But hey, what do I know? Anyway, things come back down again at the end, and the track ends as it begins arrangement wise .
Ghosts on the Stereo – Shannon Hynes (twitter.com/s_hynesmusic)
I just can’t get over this song, it is by far my favourite from Carrie’s record breaking ‘Cry Pretty’. I think this is due to the fact it is so so relatable, absolutely for me, anyway. I think any (of age, haha) country fan has sat in a dark room with a whiskey listening to their favourite records, it’s just how we are, right?
Ghosts on The Stereo sets the mood for this kind of environment perfectly. With the heavy instrumentation and the lonesome lyrics, the tears really start rolling along with the beautifully flowing melodies as the song lets your heart open up and feel the pain that may lie within. Paying tribute to the greatest of the greats in country music (not the females, mind) and clearly taking inspiration, this song is a stand out of every Carrie Underwood song, for me. I would really love her to release this as a single, just imagine how gorgeous that music video would be.
Spinning Bottles – Nick Cantwell (twitter.com/nickbelles_gals)
Spinning Bottles starts with a simple piano in the background providing the perfect backdrop to the incredible voice that Carrie has – I’m not sure there is a vocal powerhouse as good as Carrie in the entire music industry and it’s a joy to behold in every track of this album. Spinning Bottles is a tough listen and touches on the problems of addiction and in particular alcoholism. The song is in two parts, simply featuring ‘she’ and ‘he’. ‘She’ is at home worried, wondering where her husband/partner/boyfriend is – ‘She’s pacing the floor, she’s checking the time, wondering how the glow with that porch light hasn’t gone out for three days straight’. The song then cuts to a hotel room, where you’ll find ‘he’, wondering if the relationship is over and knowing he’d ‘quit if he could’.
The track builds and builds, with soaring strings added into the mix, to create a wonderfully powerful and emotional track.
This is from a Roots-leaning site, and I'm pleased to see that they pretty much agree with me in picking the best four songs!
(In general, I'm pleased with the reviews coming from the music sector that I mainly follow - for example Michelle Lindsey on Highway Queens, and Jeremy Burchard on Wide Open Country, both gave what I would consider supportive reviews)
https://bellesandgals.com/2018/09/27/carrie-underwood-cry-pretty-in-the-round-album-review/
Low – Megan Roberts (twitter.com/megwritesalot)
‘Low’ is an extremely emotive song that captures feeling down in powerful metaphors. There are so many sad songs out there, and this is a fresh outlook which finds new ways to describe a complex feeling in a straightforward way. My favourite thing about this is the vocal and instrumental progression throughout. The track starts with minimalistic guitar and then builds at a gradual pace, giving Carrie an opportunity to express emotion in her strong voice. I also really like the traditional country ‘twang’ in the background which is the icing on the cake of this well-rounded song.
Kingdom – Lesley Hastings (twitter.com/lesleyhastings)
Cowritten by her alongside hugely successful Nashville writer Chris DeStefano ( who has already had multiple cuts on Carrie’s previous albums, including Something In The Water and Smoke Break) and the city’s Dave Barnes ( a prolific recording artist in his own right, who has written for numerous country artists including Danielle Bradbury, Blake Shelton, Terri Clark and Reba) this track is a touching tribute to her home and family, aka her “Kingdom”. Lyrically there’s consequently a lot of syrupy sweetness at times which I guess may attract criticism from some quarters, but I’m taking that with a large pinch of salt in this review!
While there’s no doubt that Carrie is one of the vocal powerhouses when it comes to female country artists today, which is evident in abundance on this album, sometimes I just want to hear the sweet, understated side of her voice and this is what happens at the start of this song. With just simplest of acoustic guitar and haunting steel accompaniment, she gently sings about what makes her home special to her in the first verse, things like “the creaky board on the front porch” and “the kitchen table where we say our prayers”. This simplicity continues in the first chorus, which contains the beautiful lines about her home being “ perfectly imperfect, it’s worth more than it’s worth”.
With drums kicking in and her vocals stepping up a gear, we hear in verse two about the harder times that she still wouldn’t change as they’ve helped make her and her family who they are. The track progresses with fuller instrumentation and backing vocals ( which even seem to include a choir ) being added, which naturally means Carrie’s voice has to soar above this cacophony of sound, something she’s more than capable of doing of course when she sings about “ our names carved out in that old oak tree” and “ the love we have that will stand the test of time” .
But to tell you the truth I’d rather she hadn’t have had to, I’d love to hear this touching song a lot less produced and left as a simple, stripped back number which would have really contrasted with the rest of the album. But hey, what do I know? Anyway, things come back down again at the end, and the track ends as it begins arrangement wise .
Ghosts on the Stereo – Shannon Hynes (twitter.com/s_hynesmusic)
I just can’t get over this song, it is by far my favourite from Carrie’s record breaking ‘Cry Pretty’. I think this is due to the fact it is so so relatable, absolutely for me, anyway. I think any (of age, haha) country fan has sat in a dark room with a whiskey listening to their favourite records, it’s just how we are, right?
Ghosts on The Stereo sets the mood for this kind of environment perfectly. With the heavy instrumentation and the lonesome lyrics, the tears really start rolling along with the beautifully flowing melodies as the song lets your heart open up and feel the pain that may lie within. Paying tribute to the greatest of the greats in country music (not the females, mind) and clearly taking inspiration, this song is a stand out of every Carrie Underwood song, for me. I would really love her to release this as a single, just imagine how gorgeous that music video would be.
Spinning Bottles – Nick Cantwell (twitter.com/nickbelles_gals)
Spinning Bottles starts with a simple piano in the background providing the perfect backdrop to the incredible voice that Carrie has – I’m not sure there is a vocal powerhouse as good as Carrie in the entire music industry and it’s a joy to behold in every track of this album. Spinning Bottles is a tough listen and touches on the problems of addiction and in particular alcoholism. The song is in two parts, simply featuring ‘she’ and ‘he’. ‘She’ is at home worried, wondering where her husband/partner/boyfriend is – ‘She’s pacing the floor, she’s checking the time, wondering how the glow with that porch light hasn’t gone out for three days straight’. The song then cuts to a hotel room, where you’ll find ‘he’, wondering if the relationship is over and knowing he’d ‘quit if he could’.
The track builds and builds, with soaring strings added into the mix, to create a wonderfully powerful and emotional track.
This is from a Roots-leaning site, and I'm pleased to see that they pretty much agree with me in picking the best four songs!
(In general, I'm pleased with the reviews coming from the music sector that I mainly follow - for example Michelle Lindsey on Highway Queens, and Jeremy Burchard on Wide Open Country, both gave what I would consider supportive reviews)
"The Bullet" is too vague to be truly effective??? Are you kidding me?!
Farawayhills
Well-known member
I think the reviews that are disappointing some fans are mainly coming from some of the General Music writers. It's unfortunate that these tend to be ones that are counted by Metacritic - but I don't think any of them have given what that site terms a "negative" review. The fact that a majority so far may be giving "mixed" reviews probably reflects the fact that the album itself is experimental, making it appear uneven for some reviewers, who tend to prefer to relate albums to stylistic "types". Another factor may be that some advance comments may have suggested that it would be more radical than they find it to be. Some General Music writers tend to be cynical about Country, and have at least a skeptical, if not hostile, view of some of its conventions.
It's unclear why some of the Mainstream sites have not reviewed it at all - that may be a matter of timing, and they may still appear. But I do think that this album may prove more challenging to some Mainstream tastes than the "Carrie" they're used to. The stronger songs are musically progressive, and it doesn't surprise me if the more Roots leaning writers are more immediately accepting of that. Anyone expecting "easier" conventional radio fare may be surprised with the development this album. There are songs, such as "Southbound" and "Love Wins", that do seem more directly Mainstream targeted, but I don't think these may be seen as the ones most characteristic of the album as a whole. Carrie is not abandoning radio - but I do think she's also looking beyond Mainstream radio with this album. The album sales suggest that that is paying off for her, whether or not critical reaction is mixed.
It's unclear why some of the Mainstream sites have not reviewed it at all - that may be a matter of timing, and they may still appear. But I do think that this album may prove more challenging to some Mainstream tastes than the "Carrie" they're used to. The stronger songs are musically progressive, and it doesn't surprise me if the more Roots leaning writers are more immediately accepting of that. Anyone expecting "easier" conventional radio fare may be surprised with the development this album. There are songs, such as "Southbound" and "Love Wins", that do seem more directly Mainstream targeted, but I don't think these may be seen as the ones most characteristic of the album as a whole. Carrie is not abandoning radio - but I do think she's also looking beyond Mainstream radio with this album. The album sales suggest that that is paying off for her, whether or not critical reaction is mixed.
Smokyiiis
Well-known member
They got three of my favorites and then I probably would have put Drinking Alone just a smidgeon before Kingdom. Descriptions are right on the mark!
Claire2004
Active member
[h=1]Women of Country Album Review Roundup, Part Two: Loretta Lynn, Kathy Mattea, Ashley Monroe, Kim Richey, and Carrie Underwood[/h]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]If its predecessor, Storyteller, found Carrie Underwood in something of a holding pattern, Cry Pretty is the bold step forward that characterized her fourth and best studio set, Blown Away. The chances she takes on Cry Pretty don’t pay off as consistently as they did on that seminal album, but when they do, the pay off is huge. It’s a dark album that often explores heady subject matter, and those moments provide the album’s greatest achievements.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Spinning Bottles” is a stunner, a piano-based ballad that shows the heartbreak and desperation of an alcoholic man and the woman who won’t give up on him. “The Bullet” strips the politics of the gun control debate away to explore the individual impact of one death by gunfire, and ultimately makes a more powerful statement than any polemic could. “Backsliding” and “Drinking Alone” fully declare a woman’s indestructible core, refusing to sacrifice her independence, even while surrendering to the arms of another. The production doesn’t always allow them to shine through, but Underwood’s talents as a singer and a songwriter are as strong as ever.
Women of Country Album Review Roundup, Part Two: Loretta Lynn, Kathy Mattea, Ashley Monroe, Kim Richey, and Carrie Underwood ? Country Universe[/FONT]
[FONT="]Carrie Underwood[/FONT][FONT="]Cry Pretty[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[FONT="]If its predecessor, Storyteller, found Carrie Underwood in something of a holding pattern, Cry Pretty is the bold step forward that characterized her fourth and best studio set, Blown Away. The chances she takes on Cry Pretty don’t pay off as consistently as they did on that seminal album, but when they do, the pay off is huge. It’s a dark album that often explores heady subject matter, and those moments provide the album’s greatest achievements.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Spinning Bottles” is a stunner, a piano-based ballad that shows the heartbreak and desperation of an alcoholic man and the woman who won’t give up on him. “The Bullet” strips the politics of the gun control debate away to explore the individual impact of one death by gunfire, and ultimately makes a more powerful statement than any polemic could. “Backsliding” and “Drinking Alone” fully declare a woman’s indestructible core, refusing to sacrifice her independence, even while surrendering to the arms of another. The production doesn’t always allow them to shine through, but Underwood’s talents as a singer and a songwriter are as strong as ever.
Women of Country Album Review Roundup, Part Two: Loretta Lynn, Kathy Mattea, Ashley Monroe, Kim Richey, and Carrie Underwood ? Country Universe[/FONT]