Underwood’s latest is classic country Carrie

New wife and pop-country artist Carrie Underwood has been dancing with the stars, preparing for her upcoming international tour and role as CMA Awards co-host, but still managed to create a phenomenal album.

Blown Away is full of the same energy and impressive vocal work seen each night of American Idol in 2004 and throughout her career.

“Good Girl” starts the album off on a strong note, and Underwood is on fire. The song begins with funky guitar riffs and drum beats, and her energetic vocals get the show on the road. On this track, Underwood is telling the good girl that her man is not worth her heart. “His lips are dripping honey, but he’ll sting you like a bee,” she belts.

“Blown Away” and “Two Black Cadillacs” are both potential hits with deep, thought-provoking lyrics. Lyrics to “Blown Away” include “There’s not enough rain in Oklahoma to wash the sins out of that house/There’s not enough wind in Oklahoma to rip the nails out of the past.” In “Blown Away,” Underwood is telling a story of tragedy and pain. The combination of the beat and its twist when the hook comes in, Underwood’s strong voice, and her words make this track.

In “Two Black Cadillacs,” she sings “Preacher said he was a good man, his brother said he was a good friend, but the women in the two black veils didn’t bother to cry.”

This next track “See You Again” has the makings of a hit as well. Underwood sings to a lover, declaring, “I will see you again/This is not where it ends.”

Nice, country-styled song, “Do You Think About Me?” is next in line. Carrie Underwood sings about an ex-boyfriend who she still thinks about, and wonders if he still thinks about her. The hook is incredibly catchy, and makes the song a winner. “Oh I, oh I’m not even trying/Oh I, oh I but I can’t stop smiling.”

In “Forever Changed,” Underwood’s voice is softer than on the other songs, while she illustrates the theme of growing up. It’s a lovely, relatable song with lyrics such as, “Forever changed, nothing ever stays the same.”

The following tracks, “Nobody Ever Told You” and “One-Way Ticket,” are both uplifting songs. “Nobody Ever Told You” has a slow beat that eventually speeds up. Underwood is basically saying, ‘girl, you are beautiful and that you don’t need to hide behind makeup’ but, “nobody told you.” “One-Way Ticket” has an island beat, and it even makes use of whistling. She encourages listeners to take a break when life isn’t going your way and have some fun, “just kick it, we got a one-way ticket.”

Next, “Thank God for Hometowns,” says, “Thank God for hometowns/First kisses and touchdowns.” Underwood points out that people are usually anxious to get away from their hometown, but home is a place you can always go back to and find yourself.

The following tracks are about love. “Good in Goodbye” is a personal song about a past relationship. “Leave Love Alone” has a country, soulful beat that includes lyrics, “Oh, come on, burn me once, but it don’t sink in/I just keep coming back again/I just can’t leave love alone.”

“Cupid’s Got A Shotgun” has a fun, funky, country beat. There’s a piano and guitar playing. Carrie Underwood says that she’s been hiding from love, and now Cupid has the gun aiming at her heart. Underwood slows it down with “Wine After Whiskey.” “Once you’ve tasted a love that strong/You can’t settle for anything less/And that’s what gets me/It’s like having wine after whiskey.”

Although it isn’t clear, the final track, “Who Are You,” seems to be a religious song. The country darling sings, “You’re my savior/You’re my center.” Her vocals are beautiful.

Underwood continues her legacy with this release, and her consistently-classy country work begs nothing more than a long, prosperous career.