Not gone wild…
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[6.57]
Alfred Soto: aka “After He Cheats.” In several singles released since her breakthrough, most recently her Brad Paisley duet, Underwood proved she can bestir herself to murmur erotically and stay in tune. So what’s she doing on this post-Shania rocker? It’s dreary, blowsy, and vulgar.
[3]
Katherine St Asaph: Your stance on “Good Girl” depends entirely on whether your first impression was “Before He Cheats” or “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” If it’s the former, then sure, Carrie’s copying copies like “Cowboy Casanova” and “Undo It,” the only difference being the Southern rock and bubblegum pop doodled on top with all the finesse of a grizzly bear holding a large Sharpie. If it’s the latter, Carrie has an Up! yet to come in her career. I choose optimism.
[7]
Michaela Drapes: Not that I ever would have accused Carrie Underwood of coasting of late, but I can’t recall a single of hers in recent years that was this snappy and sharp and perfectly timed and crafted. I especially love the perfectly meted out does of bitchiness and concern, the kind of heart-to-heart good girlfriends should always deliver.
[8]
Brad Shoup: The tempo on this is out of control. The speed — and the spectacular “Ram Jam” fakebook-and-handclaps verses — are such that one almost doesn’t notice the parts don’t always cohere well. Someone get her David Guetta’s number.
[6]
Edward Okulicz: As befitting a reality TV star and a country singer, Carrie Underwood needs to be a singer of the people twice over. And she’s got audience participation down pat here, because the rawk-pop-guitars plus handclaps (oh god, yes, handclaps) are going to slay at radio and get live TV audiences falling off their seats. Topping it off with a narrative about a guy that’s no good for the girl that its listeners will really relate to, and it’s so perfect for its purpose that cynicism seems churlish. Dare I just give up and concede that it’s a total banger?
[8]
John Seroff: Here’s an excellent blueprint for Pink!’s eventual country crossover album: rollicking and growly verses, a karaoke-friendly near R&B chorus, leave the guitar well under the cymbal splashes in the mix and just run in place as hard as you can. I am sorta afraid I’ll be sorry I rated this so low fairly shortly; Underwood tends to rev low and then heat over when she’s good.
[6]
Anthony Easton: Remind me never to piss Carrie Underwood off. (This is completely awesome, mostly because it refuses the expected Southern sweetness — not only refuses it, but like full aikido, pushes the weight of it to destabilise her opponent). She almost yells in places, and spits in the chorus, and the guitars race forward, and she does not retreat — the guitar doesn’t retreat, the vocals do not retreat — and she, pushing the offending party out of the door, with shoes in one hand, one part fuck you and one part sly warning.
[8]