Play On by Carrie Underwood

Where I Got the Album: Target! Love that place.

Before I begin, let me say how excited I am to finally be reviewing something from Carrie Underwood. Carrie is definitely one of my favorite, if not my top favorite, artists. No, I don't watch AI (confession: I've only watched a few reruns of the auditions because, you know, that's the really funny part). No, I've never been to her concerts--I've missed the opportunity to twice (*pout*). But yes, I own all of her albums, I can sing all the lyrics to almost all of her songs without looking them up, and I also own the duets she has done with other artists (AND I'm very happy that she just got married a few days ago!)

Okay, so let me give a quick rundown of what I thought of her third album. There's usually this odd tendency for me to prefer sophomore albums over third (junior?) albums, and, to be honest, though I was afraid the same wouldn't happen for Carrie Underwood, it did. I really loved her debut Some Hearts, as well as her sophomore Carnival Ride, Play On was a little flat. Don't get me wrong--it's a nice album and definitely worth the buy for any Carrie Underwood fan, but something was definitely lacking in this third show. Unlike the freshness of Some Hearts and the honky-tonk rawness of Carnival Ride, Play On was a little too cleaned up with pop finesse for the true country fan who knows who Carrie truly is as a singer and knows what to expect from her. There are some gems---both of the more country sort and of the pop variety--but others failed to display Carrie's true talents. One thing though, speaking of her talents: I was glad to see that she got more involved with the writing of her songs. Singer-songwriters FTW.

*1. Cowboy Casanova (Carrie Underwood/Mike Elizondo/Brett James): This. Song. Is. So. Addicting! Play On starts off with a strong country song, one that powers out a similar story and tune as those in Carrie's previous hits "Before He Cheats" and "Last Name". You can be insanely happy or insanely angry, and still sit back--or dance like mad--to this song. This is what Carrie Underwood is about: sassy, girl power tunes country fried to the right degree. Score: 10/10

*2. Quitter (Max Martin/Shellback/Savan Kotecha): Though this is called one of the weakest songs on the album, I can't help liking this song. It's a nice segue after "Cowboy Casanova", but perhaps because the first song is so good, this one seems to fall a little flat. The songwriting isn't very strong, but it's quite catchy and cute--maybe too cute. For the record, I love the musical bridge. Score: 9/10

3. Mama's Song (C. Underwood/Kara DioGuardi/Martin Frederiksen/Luke Laird): First off, I think you have to be in the right mood for this song. It's rather simple, but it's very sweet and resounds of a wonderfully strong bond between a mother and daughter. However, the first time I listened to it, I thought it was rather boring. Listen to the lyrics carefully, and you'll see that this is actually a very beautiful, poignant song. Score: 9/10

4. Change (Katrina Elam/Josh Kear/Chris Tompkins): Where's the country-ness here? Nonetheless, this is a rather touching song, though it's quite pop-ish. One problem: if one doesn't listen to the song carefully and only ends up catching the words of the chorus, the message gets sent all wrong. Not to mention that some charity TV ads ARE scams (much of the donated money actually goes to their advertising, not to third-world countries). Score: 8/10

*5. Undo It (C. Underwood/K. DioGuardi/M. Frederiksen/L. Laird): This is Carrie's current single. I'm not quite up-to-date on all things country at the moment, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is doing very well. This song has the same, girl power country tune as "Before He Cheats" and "Cowboy Casanova". Though one can say that the eponymous verse of "I wanna uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-undo it!" is slightly corny, I personally think it's just catchy and fun--so ENJOY it. Score: 10/10

6. Someday When I Stop Loving You (Hillary Lindsey/Steve McEwan/Gordie Sampson): Dear Ms Lindsey, You're one of my favorite songwriters ever, so when you write a song for Carrie Underwood that make me yawn...I mean, really?? I'm sorry to say that that is what your song "Someday When I Stop Loving You" did to me. Apparently, every top critic sings his or her praises about this song, even if they thought "Quitter" was weak and "Undo It" was corny, but I'm not seeing what's so great about this one. Don't worry--I still love all your other songs. Sincerely, The Nerdette. Score: 6/10

*7. Songs Like This (Marty Dodson/Jerry Flowers/Tom Shapiro): After that yawner "Someday", the album finally gets back into some honky-tonk action with this track. Though it isn't quite as powerful or downright GOOD as "Cowboy Casanova" or "Undo It", it's still a pretty nice song. Thumbs up for the girl power, thumbs down for the weakness. I can't quite pinpoint what was so weak about this one--my guess is the music--but nonetheless, the title is quite clever, considering country isn't really known for its songwriting prowess. Score: 10/10

*8. Temporary Home (C. Underwood/L. Laird/Zac Maloy): The first time I heard this song, though it was slow, I actually enjoyed it. It made me sad, though for the wrong reason (I misinterpreted the first verse as being about the little boy dying). I haven't watched many of Carrie's videos as of late, but I did see this one...and oh my goodness. I hardly every cry watching movies or reading books, but this one very nearly teared me up. Hollywood, get Carrie on the big screen pronto. This singing sensation would do fabulously on stage or on film. Score: 10/10

9. This Time (H. Lindsey/S. McEwan/G. Sampson): It seems that Hillary Lindsey did a writing session with these two other fellows and wrote this song as well as "Someday" on the same day. "This Time" was, yes, weak. Perhaps not as weak as "Someday", for it has some prettily written verses here and there, but the music was much too cleaned up and pop-ish. Score: 7/10

10. Look at Me (Jim Collins/Paul Overstreet): I believe this is a cover, and though it's probably not a bad cover, the song itself is just a yawner. It doesn't matter who's singing it; the music is boring, the lyrics are boring--must I expound on this more? No, I'd rather not. Score: 5/10

*11. Unapologize (C. Underwood/H. Lindsey/Raine Maida/Chantal Kreviazuk): Another pop turn here--and not too bad of one. By the song title, one would assume it's another of Carrie's hard-hitting, boy-dissing tunes. Actually, it's anything but. It's sweet and cute, though again, perhaps a little too cleaned up for a true country fan. Nonetheless, a nice song. Score: 9/10

*12. What Can I Say (C. Underwood/David Hodges/S. McEwan): I said before how much I love Carrie's duets, right? This song is simply gorgeous. The lead singer of Sons of Sylvia, a new country band currently touring with Carrie, has an amazing voice. Everything about this track--the music, the lyrics, the voices, the integration of the two talents here--fits beautifully together. If you're only going to buy a few songs form this album, this should definitely be one of them. Score: 10/10

13. Play On (C. Underwood/Natalie Hemby/L. Laird): Finally! Now we know why this whole CD is called "Play On". Now, the titular track isn't a bad song; however, it's subject matter is a bit clichéd. The lyrics are all right, the music falls flat. I would still give this one a listen, but don't expect anything that will knock your socks off. It's inspirational if you're in a bad mood, I suppose.

Red Flags: Check out Common Sense Media, but this is a pretty clean album.


Grading:
Vocals: 10/10
Instrumentals: 8/10
Songwriting: 8/10
Lasting Value: 9/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Overall: 44/50

Tidbits:
Producers: Mark Bright, Max Martin, Shellback
Genre: Country
Record Label: Arista Nashville/19 Recordings
Release Date: November, 3, 2009
Length: 48:28

Also Recommended:

• Need You Now by Lady Antebellum
• Carnival Ride by Carrie Underwood
• Kellie Pickler by Kellie Pickler

Check It Out!

• Carrie Underwood's official site
• Wikipedia

*Coco by Colbie Caillat

More than once, you’ve probably heard that song on the radio; you know, that one that goes “And it starts in my toes/And I crinkle my nose…” Well, one day, we were driving in the car, and that song came up–that song I’d heard a billion times but never knew the title of. “Don’t you have that song on your iPod?” my mom asks. “No,” I replied, but I guess she supposed so because (1) we’ve heard it so many times and (2) it sort of seemed like the kind of song I’d listen to. Well, a few weeks later, I heard that song again on TV, and just had to look it up. What do you know? It’s this little song called “Bubbly” (that word being mentioned only once in the whole song), and, not long after, I bought the album. It was a debut album of a new artist from my own state of California, Colbie Caillat, and boy, was I greatly impressed! Unlike most debut albums, it was a solid start for the rising guitar-playing star. Just take a look at my comments on each song below:

*1. Oxygen (Colbie Caillat/Jason Reeves): such a beautiful song from start to finish. Much like when you read a really good book with a fantastic start, this song makes you want to listen to the other tracks. The tune actually sounds as light as oxygen. Love it. Score: 10/10

*2. The Little Things (Colbie Caillat/Jason Reeves): after listening to a breezy tune, leans more towards R&B. I myself am not a big fan of that genre, but this song was so rhythmic and neat to listen to. Score: 10/10

3. One Fine Wire (Colbie Caillat/Mikal Blue/Jason Reeves): after two such strong songs, this one seemed a little too weak to me. Perhaps if this wasn’t sandwiched between two hits, I would have preferred it. What I did like about it was that it did have a sort of “lilt” that it seemed like you really were trying to balance on one fine wire (if that didn’t make sense, go listen to it).Score: 8/10

*4. Bubbly (Colbie Caillat/Jason Reeves): obviously, this is the hit that I was talking about in my introduction. “Bubbly” has such a light, flowy, catchy, and sometimes even a bouncy tune. I absolutely love this song, period. Score:10/10

5. Feelings Show (Colbie Caillat/Mikal Blue/Jason Reeves): I wasn’t a huge fan of this song, perhaps because it, like “One Fine Wire”, was sandwiched between two really great songs. The tune was a bit too uneven to fit on this album; the verses are really slow, and then the chorus suddenly gets quite fast that it doesn’t really fit the song too well; however, Colbie’s vocals are still as solid as ever in this track as in any of the others. Score: 8/10

*6. Midnight Bottle (Colbie Caillat/Jason Reeves): I loved this song! The beginning has a jazzy touch to it, and it did sound “night-ish” (that’s the best way I can explain it; just go listen to it!). Like “Bubbly”, it also has a light and flowy tune that’s enjoyable to listen to. Score: 9/10

*7. Realize (Colbie Caillat/Mikal Blue/Jason Reeves): The first time I listened to it was on the computer, and, well, maybe the computer sound wasn’t that great and I maybe I wasn’t really listening, but I didn’t care for it that much, especially right after listening to “Bubbly”. But when I listened to it on my CD player and iPod, I found how amazing this song is. It has a melancholy yet hopeful tune, and has such a pretty acoustic sound. The chorus is quite catchy as well. Score: 10/10

*8. Battle (Colbie Caillat/Mikal Blue): Sometimes background vocals are unnecessary and get too corny. Some might say the same for “Battle”. OK, before I explain, let’s back up a little. The introduction I loved. It reminded me of the soundtrack to the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Then the song shifts from classical to pop to classical and so one throughout the rest of the song. I enjoyed listening to this one, and, the background vocals (which are also Colbie, by the way) were still amazing. Even though they kept repeating until the end, they didn’t get overly annoying. Awesome, neat track. Score: 10/10

9. Tailor Made (Colbie Caillat/Jason Reeves): At this track, the album’s sturdiness starts to slow. Yes, this track was peppy, but it didn’t sound very “Colbie-ish”. I like this song, but it’s just not my favorite from the CD. Score:9/10

10. Magic (Colbie Caillat/Jason Reeves): Not sure if anyone else experienced this when listening to Coco, but this sounded like a repeat of “Bubbly”–a sort of slower, lighter, less pop and more acoustic remix of the hit. I kind of hoped for something a little fresher (but of course, still having the Colbie sound to it), but was slightly disappointed by this track. Don’t get me wrong, “Magic” is still a great song, but it wasn’t my favorite. Score: 8/10

11. Tied Down (Colbie Caillat/Jason Reeves): This was a pretty neat song; everytime I hear it, it reminds me of a lazy sunset on a Hawaiian beach (ok, maybe it’s because of the ukelele in the song). It was also a little uneven, with the slow verses and the a-tad-bit-too-peppy chorus. Not a Score-10 to get an asterisk, but still pretty good for a song that’s towards the end. Score:9/10

12. Capri (Colbie Caillat): This is such a sweet song about a mother expecting her child, and a sweet way to end Coco. “Capri” wasn’t my favorite, but it was still a very beautiful song. In fact, it reminds me of something I read that was written by a friend–a friend who actually was the first to recommend me Colbie’s music (thanks, Faith!  ) Score: 9/10

Red Flags: As Common Sense Media can tell you, some song lyrics depict some romantic scenes.

Grading:

Vocals: 10/10 (Colbie has such a unique voice and such an equally unique style with her music!)

Instrumentals: 10/10

Songwriting: 10/10 (Fantastic songwriting, and it’s even cooler that Colbie herself wrote or co-wrote most of them. What an amazing singer-songwriter!)

Lasting Value: 10/10 (It’s not easy to tire of this album. There was one point where I listened to Coco twice a day. Seriously.)

Enjoyment: 10/10

Overall: 50/50 (One of my favorites from my CD collection, definitely.)

Tidbits:

Producers: Mikal Blue, Ken Caillat, Colbie Caillat, Jason Reeves

Genre: Pop, folk-pop, acoustic, surf pop, blue-eyed soul, adult contemporary

Record Label: Universal Republic

Release Date: July 17, 2007

Length: 48:10

Also Recommended:

·         Eye to the Telescope by KT Tunstall

·         Feels Like Home by Norah Jones

·         Taylor Swift by Taylor Swift

Check It Out!

·         Colbie Caillat’s official site

·         Wikipedia

Album Title by Artist Name [Sample Album Review]

How I Listened to the Album: In accordance with FTC laws, I will state how I listened to the album and, if I own it, and whether I am keeping it or not

In Short: This is where I'll put three words to describe my thoughts on the album.

A fancy schmancy intro included with my thoughts.

*1. Song Title Track 1 (songwriter A/songwriter B): each song will be like this; I’ll summarize the song a bit, and say whether I liked it or not. Asterisks denote one of my favorite tracks from the album. Then I’ll score it as follows. Score:#(goes from one through ten)

*2. Song Title Track 2 (songwriter A/songwriter C): so on so forth…

3. Song Title Track 3 (songwriter B/songwriter D): you get the picture, right?

Red Flags: Warnings of material from the music that might offend some (taken from Common Sense Media)

Grading

Vocals: Score of the lead vocals (the artist) from one through then

Instrumentals: Score of the instrumentals from one through ten

Songwriting: Score of the songwriting from one through ten

Lasting Value: Score of whether it wears out on you easily or you never get tired of it (ten signifies the latter)

Enjoyment: Score of how much I enjoyed it from one through ten

Overall: Score of what I thought of the album overall based on the above five scores from five through fifty; ten denotes a favorite album of mine

Tidbits

Producer: Producer of the album

Genre: Genre according to Wikipedia and iTunes (the latter is used to categorize it overall on NftN)

Record Label: Album label

Release Date: Original release date in the U.S.

Length: How long the album is