Artist:     Carrie Underwood

Album:     Storyteller

Label:     19 Recordings Limited/Arista Nashville

Release Date:     10/23/2015

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Carrie Underwood spins tall and unexpected tales with her new Storyteller album. Over the last decade, the 2005 American Idol winner has married a professional athlete, given birth and won multiple awards at the Grammys, from Billboard and at the CMAs. Still, her original, “What I Never Knew I Always Wanted,” hints at the humble woman inside the star image– just a girl from Muskogee, Oklahoma with traditional values and a new mother’s love. She wrote five other songs for the 13-track CD, including “Renegade Runaway,” “Heartbeat,” “Smoke Break,” “Chaser” and “The Girl You Think I Am.” Underwood’s vocals have matured in the three years since she released Blown Away.

This fifth studio album also features seven songs written by other composers. Jason White wrote the Choctaw County Affair, a song reminiscent of Bobbie Gentry’s 1967’s “Ode to Billy Joe.” “Dirty Laundry,” written by Zach Crowell/Ashley Gorley/Hillary Lindsey shows the most hit potential if released as a single today. Fans will love singing along on its refrain: “All the Ajax in the world ain’t gonna clean your dirty laundry.” Meanwhile, like her previous four albums, lyrically Underwood’s songs continue to please. Clearly nobody has any plans of hanging this country girl out to dry.

– Donna Marie Miller