Sophomore album 'Carnival Ride' deserves praise

By Kathleen Grohman

Carrie Underwood has managed to avoid the sophomore slump with her new album, "Carnival Ride," released on Oct. 23, by following age-old advice: Don't fix something that's not broken.

Underwood has followed the same format as her tremendously successful first album, "Some Hearts," which sold over 6 million copies in the U.S. and won her two Grammy Awards. "Some Hearts" even outsold Kelly Clarkson to become the best selling artist from American Idol.

The first single off "Carnival Ride," "So Small," a song about how all obstacles in life shrink in comparison to the overarching importance of love, has reached No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and is just one of the single-worthy possible pop-crossover songs on this album.

Perhaps Underwood is hoping to achieve the same multi-genre success she enjoyed with "Before He Cheats" with "Last Name," a song off the new album in which a woman gets very drunk and marries in Las Vegas, but wakes up not even knowing her last name.

Her music sounds like country-pop -- songs that could easily be played on pop stations, but still have the twang that makes them country.

Most of the songs are upbeat, feel good music with mostly wholesome themes and a few emotional ballads that showcase Underwood's voice and remind everyone why she won American Idol.

It is this versatility that makes Underwood's music palatable to a wide audience, including those that do not particularly like country. Even non-Underwood fans may enjoy "Carnival Ride" if they are in the mood for something light.

Most songs on "Carnival Ride" are about love, particularly young love. The songs are mostly positive and optimistic, except for a few power ballads that explore the sad aspects of unrequited love, like "I Know You Won't," and a song about a loved one who dies, "Just a Dream." But whatever their content, these slow songs show off Underwood's amazing singing ability.

The album gets its name from the last track on the album called "Wheel of the World," which is about -- not surprisingly -- love igniting and flickering out.

The second verse is quoted both on the album jacket and Underwood's official Web site: "God put us here on this carnival ride, we close our eyes never knowing where it'll take us next."

Underwood also keeps a little bit of sass in this album with the song "More Boys I Meet," which chronicles a young woman's dating life with the hook, "the more boys I meet, the more I love my dog."

Underwood has come a long way from the day she first walked into the American Idol open auditions. Even Simon Cowell can't dispute that she has found a recipe for success and proved she can cook it up again and again.

Underwood did take a little more creative license on this album, co-writing four of the songs, but thankfully hasn't tried to change her sound.

Fans that loved "Some Hearts" can expect more of the same with "Carnival Ride."

Grade: A-

Contact Kathleen Grohman at (408) 551-1918 or kgrohman@scu.edu.