Carrie Underwood - Play On Review
Posted by Daniel Wilcox on 11.04.2009
Country starlet and American Idol winner Carrie Underwood returns with her third record, Play On.
Carrie Underword - Play On
Review by Daniel Wilcox
Track listing:
1. Cowboy Casanova
2. Quitter
3. Mama’s Song
4. Change
5. Undo It
6. Someday When I Stop Loving You
7. Songs Like This
8. Temporary Home
9. This Time
10. Look At Me
11. Unapologize
12. What Can I Say [feat. Sons of Sylvia]
13. Play On
You can argue just how much of an accomplishment this really is, but Carrie Underwood has sold more records than any other American Idol alum and as such is clearly the show’s greatest success story. That should suggest that the young country singer is at least somewhat talented, but it’s also undeniable that she is very much a cookie-cutter act, a performer manipulated in order to appeal to as many people as humanly possible. This is part of the problem, the main factor making all of her previous records so formulaic and lifeless. While you can’t really criticize her vocal ability, or deny that she is responsible for some fun and ultimately harmless music, but listening to Carrie Underwood evokes very little emotive response, as while her music is maybe be tried and true, it lacks any sort of substance and leaves the listener feeling somewhat empty inside.
Play On carries on right where previous album Carnival Ride left off, and predominantly focuses on all the same things and any other female artisit in this genre. The record kicks off with one of the most up-tempo numbers Underwood has ever done, “Cowboy Cassanova.” But it has a tediously cliché theme about boys that are trouble and how they will break your heart. It uses such unoriginal lyricism as he’s “like a drug” and “a disease,” leaving you with the impression that the writers have spent far too much time with their heads buried in books with titles like “Generic Pop Lyrics 101.” “Change” is another track guilty of this, another upbeat track that goes on and on, unrelentingly, about how the smallest gesture can make the biggest difference and change the world. Sure, OK.
I do have to give credit where credit’s due, however, because Carrie Underwood has taken steps to mature both as a performer and as a song-writing. She takes lead song-writing credits on about half of this album’s thirteen tracks, and has also worked with a variety of producers whose notable work has been with a variety of artists from a whole host of different genres. To what extent this is reflected in the music itself, however, is debatable. Sure, there are some tracks that are solely dependent on their poppy hooks whilst others feature more heavily rock guitars and some emphasize the singer’s country roots, but there’s still very little on this record that actually stands out. Even her voice, which is undoubtedly her most powerful tool, is not at its best here and at times even takes a backseat to the choruses’ hooks, which range from abysmally absent to huge.
Of course, the record’s not all bad. “Mama’s Song” is a pretty little ballad about how mother shouldn’t worry because the man her daughter’s life is treating right. It’s sweet and harmless and does a good job of showcasing Underwood’s obvious vocal ability. The aforementioned “Cowboy Casanova” may have terribly cliché themes, but it’s a fun opener with a big hook and great melodies, although quickly-spoken vocals on the verse do tend to grate somewhat. The chorus is unforgettable though. “What Can I Say” is a really strong ballad featuring the trio Sons of Sylvia and actually represents some of Carrie’s best work, vocally and in terms of song-writing ability. The ballads as a whole are probably significantly more enjoyable to listen to than the more mid-tempo numbers, simply because they do a better job of bringing Carrie’s vocals to the forefront of the record. The more up-tempo numbers are pretty good too, but there aren’t enough of them feature here, instead the writers have settled for much more of a middle ground tempo wise, and that’s really where this album’s quality lies; directly in a indiscreet middle ground.
Essential downloads: “Cowboy Cassanova,” “Mama’s Song,” “Temporary Home” and “What Can I Say.”
The 411: Carrie Underwood's third studio album Play On is ultimately harmless and inoffensive, featuring some fairly fun country-pop tracks with enjoyable vocals and at times, great hooks and melodies. Her vocal prowess is still her greatest asset, but it's unfortunately not enough for me to able to overlook her and her writers' dependence on uninspired and cliche lyrics and themes. On the other hand, her desire to write more of her own material suggests that in the future Underwood can produce a much more original and mature sound, but for now, this album is rather forgettable.
