Underwood above mainstream influence

Carnival Ride is still country music, not too sappy or commercialized.

By Juana Summers

Published Oct. 26, 2007

Carrie Underwood might be blond and the subject of many prepubescent boys' wet dreams, but she is certainly no Britney Spears and does not attempt to buy into the commercial pop star image.

So it's no surprise that her sophomore effort, Carnival Ride, remains true to her country roots.

Traditional country rhythms and fiddles back many of the tracks, and there is also a wide variety of vocals.

Nearly everything on this album is the kind of track you want to sing with your girlfriends at a local honky-tonk bar, and I don't think Underwood would want it any other way.

"Get Out of This Town" is perhaps the album's biggest anthem, with the widest range of vocals and relatable lyrics.

Underwood embodies following through on feelings of flight and fancy and almost convinces you to come along with her.

"Crazy Dreams" and "Wheel of the World" are nothing special, but they still don't cheapen a job well done, as Underwood's voice could carry her

anywhere.

Although this ex-Idol's tracks prove that she's reaching new grounds as an artist, tracks such as "Flat On the Floor" remind fans that Underwood is still a country girl at heart.

The song still maintains the same independent spirit that artists such as The Wreckers and Shania Twain are known for and has the type of toe-tapping beat that is always present at any country bar.

"All-American Girl" is certainly the type of song that any sorority girl could buy into, but it's a crowd pleaser and nothing more. Underwood isn't really baring her soul.

The album's first single, "So Small," is heavy on the spirituality, but Underwood is true to herself in a departure from her last album's first single, "Before He Cheats."

Nonetheless, the songs share a tangible passion that is ultimately what matters.

"I Told You So," a true ballad, drags on for far too long and feels out of place on an album so strong in its dramatic musical cues, great pacing and tremendous vocals.

Although the violins that back Underwood's voice sound great, this song belongs on a first album and shows no

progress.

Luckily for Underwood, she hasn't gone crazy with the sappy, sentimental stuff and produced songs that leave a little bit more to talk about.

"Last Name" is funny, relatable and pertinent, but it's not without Underwood's common charm, as she sings about how she "blamed it on the Cuervo" when she met a man who's last name she didn't know at a bar.

This track is great in that it is infused with great fiddle and beats and shows that Underwood knows how to get a little dirty and doesn't specialize in just good, clean fun.

Underwood keeps a good thing going from her first album and stays true to herself. Celebrity hasn't eclipsed her music, and we are all better off for it.