Play On * by Carrie Underwood (CD, Nov-2009, 19 Recordings USA)

A quick look at the RIAA's Gold and Platinium database reveals that Carrie Underwood is probably the most successful act coming out of American Idol in terms of album sales/commercial success, rivaling that spot only with Kelly Clarkson. Some Hearts combined with Carnival Ride sold at least 9 million copies, which is the same number as Kelly's first three albums combined. Keeping such enviable career track for a relatively new artist coming from a TV show where contestants (even the winning ones) are easily forgotten not long after their constant appearances during the season, is really something to be proud of - and in Carrie's case, it is not without a reason.

"Play On" has to be her most pop effort so far. The "country" label is just slightly applicable here. It has little or no connection to any of her previous albums, and maybe this is exactly what makes this record so interesting to hear, as it's not a repetition of anything from the past. It's far from being disappointing and should be heard even by the "Idol" skeptical and the country addicted listener.

I admire the artist's willing to navigate in something a little different. She took calculated risks with responsibility and the final result with "Play On" is acceptable at worst, very enjoyable at best. Difficult to say that it'll repeat the same milestone as "Carnival Ride" did, given the fact that less and less albums are sold every year, but for the current scenario, it has great chances to be one of the greatest sellers of the year. Besides good music, she has the genuine talent and the public charisma that can hardly be found on artists of the "new" generation...the Idol one.