Carrie Underwood -- Some Hearts (The American Idol Winner Puts Out Gem With First Album)

Carrie Underwood came into the hearts and minds of America just last January, as she participated in the 4th season of American Idol. Instantly, you could see that she had something great to offer, and after the grueling months of the competition, she emerged as the winner, and was crowned the 2005 American Idol. It was a close finish, as the fans were split between her and Rocker Bo Bice, but she did end up getting the support of the hosts, and of course the fans in the end. Personally, she had been one of my two favorites ever since they went to the final 20 of the 4th season, and I was quite happy when she came out on top. The only question after that, was when she would finally get an album out to the public. The biggest worry with any American Idol participant, let alone the winners, is to not rush out an album, and kill the contestant's career before it even gets off of the ground. So, Carrie went into the studio, took her time, and though a lot of the tracks have been spoon fed to her from a recording contract she was already placed under, I think she really did a great job of producing a solid first album.

Some Hearts is of course going to be a very successful album, simply because of the name she created for herself by winning American Idol. That being said, she will sell millions of records, without even proving herself to be a good recording artist. I guess only time will tell if she does last in the industry, but in my humble opinion, after listening to the tracks on her first album, I think she is going to be here for quite some time. What her first album does, is skirt the line between main-stream country music, and songs that you would hear daily on an easy listening channel. For anyone that watched this last season of American Idol, you were able to see just how great of a country singer she was, but that she was also able to hold her own on tougher ballads as well. Her voice is geared for country singing, and her first album takes full advantage of showing what she can do with both upbeat and down-trodden lyrics. By being able to sing a variety of melodies, and not just focusing on one type of "country" song, I think that she is going to quickly take a foot-hold with this album.

Inside Your Heaven is of course the big track on the album, and one of the songs that I am sure most people who know of Carrie Underwood have already heard. The song was released as a single back in June, to help capitalize of her instant fame from American Idol, and shot to #1 very quickly. It was a pretty good song, but it was basically a remake of not-so-strong lyrics for a pop song that was intended more to get her name out there, than to be remembered very long after its release. Of course it would end up on her first album, but I think they made a really smart decision by not making it the main focal point of Some Hearts. Instead, it was bumped to the last song on the album (#14), and though it is worth listening to, you can avoid it if you don't want to hear it any more. For the album, I think it looks a lot like Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway from an outside view, because they pack the best of the songs into the first 5 tracks. With Wasted and Don't Forget To Remember Me you have two songs that are sure to end up being hits if released as singles. With the latter of the songs, you have one of my favorites on the album, as it plays out just as a story would, and is simply beautiful to listen to.

The other three main tracks of the album are sure to be Some Hearts, Jesus, Take The Wheel, and The Night Before. If you saw the 2005 CMA awards that were shown on November 15th, then you saw her perform Jesus, Take The Wheel. The song is her best on the album by far, and I think that it is one of those songs that can make you sad, but at the same time can fill you with a hope that sticks with you through tough times. With Some Hearts (The title track), she has another great song, but this one is the up-beat track from the album that could could be a sure cross-over hit for her. It has the feel of a song that would play on MTV, and has a definite poppy feel to it that will get her even more sales to a younger audience. I think that these songs are just the tip of the iceberg on an album that really sets the tone for an up and coming music career from Carrie Underwood. I have really enjoyed listening to this album, and I think that it puts her right up there with Kelly Clarkson in regards to success after the American Idol competition. Some Hearts is a great country album, with some cross-over to pop, that was well worth the wait, and highly recommended from this Carrie Underwood fan.


Do NOT miss these tracks: Jesus, Take The Wheel; Some Hearts; Don't Forget To Remember Me



Album Track List

1. Wasted
2. Don't Forget To Remember Me
3. Some Hearts
4. Jesus, Take The Wheel
5. The Night Before (Life Goes On)
6. Lessons Learned
7. Before He Cheats
8. Starts With Goodbye
9. I Just Can't Live A Lie
10. We're Young And Beautiful
11. That's Where It Is
12. Whenever You Remember
13. I Ain't In Checotah Anymore
14. Inside Your Heaven