Our look at the closing lines of new music reviews continues with a roundup of reactions to Play On, the third studio album by season-four American Idol winner Carrie Underwood:


• “Sometimes when an artist has a good thing going, it doesn’t hurt to stick on a path. Carrie Underwood demonstrates this admirably, and despite some minor imperfections, Play On is a fusion of old time country with new styles to result in an eclectic collection for all ages.” [Idol Live]


• ”And like all great singers, Ms. Underwood knows when to hold back. ‘Someday When I Stop Loving You’ is the best song here, and one of Ms. Underwood’s finest. Written by Hillary Lindsey, Steve McEwan and Gordie Sampson with slight echoes of Sheryl Crow’s ‘Strong Enough,’ it’s slow and regretful and, most important, complicated. ‘One foot on the bus, about half past nine/ I knew that you were leaving this time,’ Ms. Underwood sings. ‘I thought about laying down in its path/ Thinking that you might get off for that.’ But she delivers the lines knowing he won’t — it’s the wisdom that comes with age.” [Jon Caramanica, NYT]


• ”When she sticks to tunes written solely by the professionals, Play On does have some slick pleasures, particularly on the breezy ‘Quitter’ and ‘This Time,’ songs built on solid melodies and delivered without flash, relying on craft and Carrie’s considerable small-town charm — a gift that remains intact despite the misguided attempt on the rest of Play On as if she’s nothing but a diva. ” [Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide]