Album by album,
Carrie Underwood
crept slowly toward the kind of spangly, oversized country-pop made by
Shania Twain
at the dawn of the 21st century -- a transition that reaches its culmination on
Denim & Rhinestones
, her seventh proper studio LP. As the winner of the fourth season of American Idol,
Underwood
always had at least one foot firmly planted in pop, so this evolution doesn't come as a shock. Nevertheless, the gleam and sheen of
is rather overwhelming; it's a record where the shining surfaces are buffed so brilliantly, they're blinding. Such extravagance suits
, who continues to demonstrate a masterly sense of control as a vocalist, able to milk the melodrama out of power ballads while also sounding defiant on arena-fillers and seeming convincingly tender on the sweeter melodies. Despite this gift, the best moments on
are the ones that contain no subtlety: the overdriven '80s-MTV inflections of "Crazy Angels," the insistent taunt of the chorus on "Hate My Heart," the bubbly exuberance of "Pink Champagne," the exaggerated retro-chill vibe on "Wanted Woman," and the high-'80s throwback spirit of "Denim & Rhinestones." These are the moments that give
its character and charm, an unabashed pop spirit that separates it from the rest of
's catalog along with most of the mainstream country of 2022. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine