It Is A Pretty Album Musically and You Won’t Spend Time Crying Over It.

Album Title                :           CRY PRETTY

Artist                           :           Carrie Underwood

Genre                         :           Country

Year Released         :           2018

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The first song that played on my audio player was “The Champion.” When I checked on the album details, it was labeled as a bonus track. Good thing that I checked on the nitty gritty as I my initial reaction was “Alicia Key?”  Yes, I thought I was listening to a rearranged that New York song of hers. Then, it I concluded that this song while intended as an anthem for those who wanted to be unbreakable and champions but one could not help categorized the song as just a filler; thus, it is a bonus track.

Indeed, I feel disappointed with the first song that I listened and I feel so low.  Thus, I just have modest expectation Carrie’s latest record.  Thus, I find some songs while sounds similar together in terms of hooks, refrain, and melody but I find the vocal quality of Carrie Underwood more memorable.  How can you not like her in “Backsliding,” where you can hear from her voice the confusion and regret each time she sang the part recognizing relapse of errors. Or you can feel hear plea to let love prevail in “Love Wins.” A song about being divided by hate and prejudice but she made me believe that we are still brothers and sisters in this song.

The pleading for love continues and with a song title “The Song That We Used To Make Love To,” you can expect a lot of drama.  There are but no shrills and screams, just plain high notes expressing longing for a lost love. She might have found love in “Drinking Alone,” but still love was not there but just a moment to recall love’s misery and dealing it with a stranger.  A good song to remind that it is sometimes better to drown your sorrows with alcohol and with a stranger. Another song that she gave justice in terms of vocal emotions is “The Bullet.” You can really feel her loneliness on the untimely death of someone due to violence and the missed opportunities about family that come as a consequence of death.

It is hard for me to swallow Carrie is singing about martyrs when she has several songs about empowerment.  In “Spinning Bottles,” the lyrics is so good that it feels like reading book with vivid description and perhaps, the martyr context is an added tool to make the song very dramatic and exploits her vocal ability to give drama to the song.

 

As a country music star, it is expected she put on generic country music in this record such as “End Up With You;” generic but likeable song nonetheless. “The Kingdom” is a folk country song about family and the usual roundabout and how facing problems will make each home a lovely kingdom for the family.  Another generic song with generic melody but the context is something one cannot be won over because each one of us is longing a family that stays together.

In general, the whole album is likeable as it is loaded with songs that has universal and personal themes.  Her vocal rendition makes the generic music winsome not only to her loyal fans but to other music fans as well. Thus, I rate this record 3.5 stars.

Rating Guide

1 star = ignore it

2 star = take a chance

3 star = buy it and listen

4 star = buy it and keep it

5 star = classic