High Fidelity - Carrie Underwood

I have always wished that I would have been blessed with a really fantastic singing voice.  There is a feeling of freedom when I really allow myself to let go and sing out, a peace in that moment.  While I can carry a tune, I know that I just was not physically gifted with one of 'those' voices, even if I had extensive training. 

Carrie Underwood is one of those people blessed with a natural talent.  While I know she had a lot of training to get as good as she is now, there was an innate gift that she had which allowed her to be able to mold her voice into the powerhouse she is today.  What a rush it must be to know your voice is bringing such joy to others.


Carrie's newest album, "Blown Away" is by far her best yet in my opinion.  The songs range from fun "One Way Ticket" which sounds like a Kenny Chesney tribute, to heartbreaking on "Forever Changed", and powerful and poignant in "Blown Away" and "Two Black Cadillacs."   

"Blown Away" reminds me so much of Martina McBride's "Independence Day" in the fact that it is a crazy powerful ballad about a young woman who feels like she has no options in life due to domestic issues and the decision she makes to change that.  While I could never condone the actions that these women take in these songs, my heart hurts for the real women in situations like these everyday.  Domestic and child abuse is a sickness in our society and I have always felt a real calling to help women in these types of situations.  It was one of the reasons I originally went back to school for my psych degree and even if I do not end up in that specific field it will always be one that is close to my heart.

"Two Black Cadillacs" is along the same vein as "Blown Away" (for someone who appears to be as happily married as Carrie is, she sure has a lot of songs about guys being jerks... i.e. "Before He Cheats" - Lol).  I just think is a musically haunting and beautiful song, a more serious version of the Dixie Chick's "Good-bye Earl."  I love the visuals created by lyrics, I hope Carrie releases this one because I would love to see this video!

The final one I will share here (although I highly suggest checking out the entire album!) will be "Forever Changed."  This one is a heart-breaker, have some tissues ready.  As someone who has a loved one they are slowly losing to Alzheimer's (my paternal Grandma) and who has already lost another person who was like a Grandpa to dementia, this one hits home.

Life is a journey and the experiences we have inevitably change us, for good or bad...

Carrie Underwood

High Fidelity - Imagine Dragons

I love this new band, I started listening to their EP on Spotify a few months ago before the song "It's Time" started getting more airplay.  Their full length album called Night Visions was just released September 4th and it is excellent!  Imagine Dragons is a Nevada based alternative rock band that came together in 2008.  They will be touring with Awolnation this fall and are on the line up at many alt rock festivals including SXSW.

It's Time

Radioactive

Imagine Dragons

High Fidelity - Atlas Genius, Walk the Moon & M83

I love new artists, while I am saving one of my very favorite new bands (literally brand new, their first full length album dropped this week!) for tomorrow's High Fidelity, I thought it would be fun to share three new(ish) artists who are playing quite frequently on my headphones at work.  

The first is a new Indie rock group from South Australia called Atlas Genius, this group has only released an EP - they are brand new and I think they have the potential to be really big.  

The second group is another Indie rock band called Walk the Moon, I just love their happy sound.  Walk the Moon's self titled debut album was released in 2012.  

The third selection is playing all over the radio right now, it is French electronic music band M83's song "Midnight City."  While the band has been together, in some form, since 2001, they have just recently really started making a name for themselves on the US charts.  They have toured over the past few years with some amazing bands including the Kings of Leon, The Killers and Depeche Mode.   On a side note, I love how the "Midnight City" video starts a story line... their follow-up single, "Reunion"continues the story.  I'll be curious to see if future singles do the same.  Very cool idea!