This Is Country Music
  • Home
  • Album Reviews
  • Other Stuff
  • Archives

Single Review: Carrie Underwood - "Cry Pretty"

4/11/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Roughly one month ago, Bobby Bones made the idiotic claim that artists need to continue feeding us new material continuously to satiate fans instead of taking the time to perfect their art.  

Carrie Underwood on the other hand is one of the few artists willing to debunk that theory, with others including Eric Church and ... wow, that might be it. Say what you will about her music whether you like it or not, but Underwood makes her fans miss her and wonder where she's been. Of course, that's not to say it's totally positive. You can also have media hounds wanting to see pictures of her face after her fall to see what she looks like now instead of how she actually is, but that's in the past. 

I bring up that last part to show how it could have potentially helped frame "Cry Pretty," because instead of a story song this time around, Underwood delivered a shockingly personal, vulnerable tune. 

For the most part (at least at the beginning), this song is mostly restrained, making me wonder about the claims that Underwood went full on Pop or some other asanine statement like that. I mean, a happy Pop-Country balance has always been her cup of tea, but I digress. There's some electric guitar strumming, some faint pedal steel that kicks in a little ways in as well as a drum-like effect that sounds like someone hitting a can. In honesty, it doesn't fit well with the song, and if the first two elements had been what remained, it would have sounded a little better. 

Once the chorus kicks in, it enters a comfortable ballad territory for Underwood, the electric guitars kick it up a notch, with the pedal steel remaining to help carry the more vulnerable nature of the track. With the exception of a well-done guitar solo, this fits comfortably not only in the current Country landscape, but also well within Underwood's discography. 

Because this is a more vulnerable track as well, Underwood mostly handles herself very well vocally. She has a tendency on other songs to start belting, and while that talent is admirable, she shows that she's best when she's quieter and exposed like this. 

Lyrically, we also explore a more defenseless side of Underwood, one where she admits that she's a human who has emotions like the rest of us. You can lie and smile to fake when you're down, but when you're alone crying, that's when the dam breaks, and more importantly, that's alright for everyone to do. 

I do wish the lyrics had a little more meat to them. The message is received, but with only two verses (one of which is considerably short), the song doesn't quite take off the way it should, with the hook ultimately being a tad unmemorable. Even after the first verse, we turn the attention away from Underwood and onto advice for anyone going through these emotions, and again, I just wish it pushed itself a little to explore those emotions on a deeper level. 

Despite that though, in terms of every other area, this is a top-notch single from Underwood, displaying great production and a vocal performance that's excellent. This shouldn't be touted as a "comeback" considering Underwood simply hasn't released music in three years (which isn't THAT long), but hey, if it's ultimately giving more attention to a good song, I'll take it. 

Grade: B+
​Listen: "Cry Pretty"

Author: Zackary Kephart

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Like us on Facebook! Also, follow us on Twitter @TICMWeebly!

    Writers

    Markus Meyer
    A country music fan from B.C., Canada. You can find his work at theshotgunseat.com. You can follow Markus on twitter at @Markus_Meyer27.

    Contributors

    Chris Baggs
    A country music and Buffalo Sabres fan from Buffalo.

    Zackary Kephart
    A country music fan from Buffalo, New York. 
    ​
    Comment Policy

    TICM is dedicated to the respect of readers and authors, and their opinions. Any comments that contain derogatory language will be deleted.
    ​

    More Country Music Content:

    All Access
    ​B-Sides & Badlands
    Country Exclusive
    ​
    Country Perspective
    Country Universe
    Farce the Music
    ​Grady Smith on Country
    Highway Queens
    Pulse Music Board
    Queens Of Country
    Roughstock
    Saving Country Music
    Shore2Shore Country
    The Shotgun Seat
    ​The Musical Divide
    ​The Word

    Tweets by @Markus_Meyer27

    Categories

    All
    3 Up 3 Down
    5 Second Single Reviews
    5 Second Single Reviews
    Aaron Watson
    Alan Jackson
    American Aquarium
    Ash Bowers
    Ash Bowers
    Ashley Campbell
    Ashley McBryde
    Ashley Monroe
    A Thousand Horses
    Austin Webb
    Autumn Hill
    Awards
    Bebe Rexha
    Best Of 2012
    Big & Rich
    Billy Currington
    Blackjack Billy
    Blake Shelton
    Blanco Brown
    Brad Paisley
    Brantley Gilbert
    Brett Eldredge
    Brett Young
    Brooks & Dunn
    Brothers Osborne
    Cam
    Canaan Smith
    Candi Carpenter
    Carly Pearce
    Carrie Underwood
    Casey James
    Cassadee Pope
    Chad Brownlee
    Charlie Worsham
    Chase Bryant
    Chase Rice
    Chris Cagle
    Chris Janson
    Chris Lane
    Chris Stapleton
    Chris Young
    Chris Young
    Cole Swindell
    Colt Ford
    Craig Campbell
    Craig Morgan
    Craig Morgan
    Dallas Smith
    Danielle Bradbery
    Dan + Shay
    Darius Rucker
    David Lee Murphy
    David Nail
    Dean Brody
    Devin Dawson
    Dierks Bentley
    Doc Walker
    Dustin Lynch
    Dylan Scott
    Easton Corbin
    Edens Edge
    Eli Young Band
    Eric Church
    Eric Paslay
    Faith Hill
    Florida Georgia Line
    Florida Georgia Line
    Frankie Ballard
    Garth Brooks
    Gary Allan
    George Strait
    Gloriana
    Greg Bates
    Hayden Panettiere
    Hunter Hayes
    Ingrid Andress
    Jake Owen
    Jake Owen
    James Wesley
    Jana Kramer
    Jason Aldean
    Jason Aldean
    Jason Blaine
    Jason Mitchell
    Jennifer Nettles
    Jerrod Niemann
    Joe Diffie
    Joel Crouse
    Joe Nichols
    Joey Hyde
    John Mayer
    Jon Pardi
    Jordan Davis
    Justin Moore
    Kacey Musgraves
    Kane Brown
    Karen Fairchild
    Keith Urban
    Kelleigh Bannen
    Kellie Pickler
    Kelly Clarkson
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Kenny Chesney
    Kip Moore
    Kristian Bush
    Lady Antebellum
    LANCO
    Laura Bell Bundy
    Lauren Alaina
    Leann Rimes
    Lee Brice
    Lindsay Ell
    Little Big Town
    LoCash
    Locash Cowboys
    Lonestar
    Love And Theft
    Luke Bryan
    Luke Combs
    Maddie & Tae
    Maggie Rose
    Maren Morris
    Martina Mcbride
    Michael Bublé
    Michael Ray
    Mickey Guyton
    Midland
    Miranda Lambert
    Montgomery Gentry
    Mo Pitney
    Morgan Wallen
    Nashville
    Natasha Bedingfield
    Nelly
    News
    Niko Moon
    Old Dominion
    Parmalee
    Pat Green
    Pistol Annies
    Raelynn
    Rainey Qualley
    Randy Houser
    Randy Rogers Band
    Rascal Flatts
    Riley Green
    Robert Counts
    Rodney Atkins
    Ronnie Dunn
    Runaway June
    Russell Dickerson
    Sam Hunt
    Sara Evans
    Sarah Buxton
    Sarah Darling
    Scotty McCreery
    Seth Ennis
    Shania Twain
    Sheryl Crow
    Single Reviews
    Single Reviews
    Single Round Up
    Striking Matches
    Sugarland
    Sunny Sweeney
    Tate Stevens
    Taylor Swift
    Tebey
    Tenille Townes
    The Band Perry
    The Chicks
    The Civil Wars
    The Farm
    The Henningsens
    The Last Bandoleros
    Thomas Rhett
    Thompson Square
    Tim Hicks
    Tim Mcgraw
    Toby Keith
    Todd O' Neill
    Trace Adkins
    Train
    Travis Denning
    Tucker Beathard
    Turnpike Troubadours
    Tyler Farr
    Tyminski
    Vince Gill
    Walker Hayes
    Walker McGuire
    William Michael Morgan
    Willie Nelson
    Worst Of 2013
    Worst Of 2014
    Worst Of 2020
    Year End Countdowns
    Zac Brown Band

    Archives

    December 2020
    April 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Album Reviews
  • Other Stuff
  • Archives