Carrie Underwood: Carnival Ride - Best Country Album of the Year!

Technically, Carrie Underwood's incredible sophomore album was released in 2007 but seeing as it didn't come out until the end of the year, I feel perfectly entitled to call it my 'record of 08' so far.

Musically, Carnival Ride is a big step forward from its 2006 predecessor, Some Hearts. The songs showcase real diversity whilst remaining true to Carrie's country roots. She shows real spunk and country-girl crass (in a good way!) on opener 'Flat On The Floor' and the ridiculously catchy 'Last Name', where a tale of too much tequila leaves 'Carrie' in Vegas married to a stranger and no longer knowing her own last name. It's pure country rock at its finest.

The girl can never really be taken too far away from what she does best, though, and that is the soaring country ballad, supported by dazzling production that crescendos into drawn out high notes and perfectly showcase her incredible vocal talent. Smash single 'So Small' epitomizes this and is undoubtedly the perfect follow-up to her first real hit, 'Jesus Take The Wheel'.

'All-American Girl' is the album's real standout track - country pop at its finest - yet the rest of the CD is so packed full of killer hooks (notably 'I Know You Won't), heartbreaking lyrical references to the Iraq war, ('Just A Dream') and the highs and lows of dating, which are told with such wit and irony ('More Boys I Meet') that this album deserves to catapault Ms Underwood into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She is that good and the strengths and renewed success she is helping to give Country music is worthy of high praise.

Watch the video for 'So Small' on Carrie's YouTube page.

The only downside is this: with this renewed popularity comes the irritatingly predictable 'watered down/jumping on the bandwagon' attempts to cash in on another 'hot new sound' that the likes of Jo Simpson and his woefully misguided daughter(s) cannot pass up.


Come on Carrie, Kellie, Taylor and The Wreckers - show 'em how it's meant to be done!