Play On - Carrie Underwood

Daisy in her hair aside, Carrie Underwood looks flat-out glamorous on the cover of Play On, which is a pretty fair indication of what awaits listeners on her third album. Carrie is still a country artist and sometimes will sing supported by fiddles and steel guitar, but this is crossover pop pure and simple, whether it's the thundering rhythms on the Shania-styled strut "Cowboy Casanova" or the preponderance of power ballads. Many of these ballads are infused with social consciousness -- Carrie decries hunger on "Change" and homelessness on "Temporary Home" -- reminiscent of Idol Gives Back, and they're not the only AmIdol connection here, as Kara DioGuardi co-wrote the sassy "Undo It" and "Mama's Song" with Underwood herself. Carrie takes a much stronger presence as a writer here, co-authoring seven of the 13 songs. Play On particularly shines on the breezy "Quitter" and "This Time," songs built on solid melodies and delivered without flash, relying on craft and Carrie's considerable small-town charm. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide