Kellie Pickler - Small Town Girl

This debut album by the small-town girl with the big, powerhouse voice showcases two distinctly different sides of Kellie Pickler's music. The hard-riffing uptempo material recalls the heartland rock of Bob Seger and John Mellencamp, with Pickler providing a good-ole-girl twang. Among the highlights are the emancipated strut of "Red High Heels," the playful humor of "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind," and the tomboy bluesiness of "One of the Guys." Yet the American Idol finalist turns pure diva on the over-the-top balladry of the album's other half, with swelling strings and arrangements that overpower rather than enhance "I Wonder" and "I'm on My Way." On such cuts, producer Blake Chancey (Dixie Chicks) never gives Pickler a chance to show the subtlety and nuance that makes music more an art than a competition. --Don McLeese Amazon.com

wasn't a fan at first

When i first heard Kellie on American Idol. But i figured that i should still give the cd a shot. So i bought it and listened to it a time or two. With each listen i'm starting to get what everyone's saying about her and the promise that she has for a bright future in the music biz. I especially liked "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind" and "Red High Heels". If this keeps up she'll be a household name all over the place.

Nice debut cd. November 1, 2008

Great CD

As an Idol contestant, Kelli was adorable but a little rough around the edges. She has really polished her music. April 29, 2008

Consistent, likable and enjoyable

I didn't know much about Kellie Pickler until several months after her debut album Small Town Girl dropped. On iTunes I decided to check out her first single "Red High Heels" and, at first, couldn't stand it--but subsequent listens proved to lure me in and, eventually, I became more interested in the former Idol instead of dismissing her. I'm not a major fan of country music, although I can enjoy it on occasion, and it wasn't until I heard the heartfelt ballad "I Wonder" that I decided Small Town Girl deserved a further listen. Despite its hurried release, Pickler's debut is a hugely enjoyable piece of mainstream country, from its likable opening number and Top 10 second single "I Wonder" to, in all honesty, everything else! Pickler isn't an amazing singer in terms of originality (her nasal delivery is sweet, but unoriginal in comparison to other females of the genre), but she's undoubtedly talented, funny, witty and--probably most important in terms of her country fan base--still very much a "small town girl" at heart, which (more than anything) sells this startlingly consistent album. April 25, 2008

Good Job Pickler!

Made me cry in my car as I listened to "I Wonder". Don't worry, the other tracks are fun and good funky country music. We all love Kellie Pickler for being so refreshingly human. April 21, 2008

You gotta love her.

Now here is a real country girl who deserves everything that has come her way. Kellie has a great voice, and knows how to handle an audience. It is very obvious that Kellie belongs on a stage singing. Kellie is here for the long haul. March 22, 2008

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