Rating:
Genre:
Country
Release Date: 08/28/2007
Run Time: 37:48
Carmen Rasmusen's name and face might ring a bell for fans of
American Idol; she made it into the final six during the second season of the television program, the same season that made
Clay Aiken a star. It would be easy to dismiss
Rasmusen based on such ignoble beginnings, and she certainly does aim squarely at the polished, often artistically anemic world of mainstream
country with her album
Nothin' Like the Summer. The weakness of this album is in its predictability: Every
country-pop flourish is employed here, particularly on the title track, which reels off a list of bucolic, rural memories, delighting in the kind of sepia-toned front-porch/fishing-pole pap that Nashville has tried to sell listeners countless times before. (And, frankly,
Rasmusen seems a bit young to have such nostalgic reveries.) In fact, every track here seems to employ a tried-and-true template, from every chord progression, to every sentiment, to every vocal nuance, to every peal of pedal steel. (
Rasmusen is credited with a couple of co-writes, but for the most part, the songs are manufactured for her by other songwriters.) Nevertheless,
Rasmusen does have a nice set of pipes and a rich, rounded tone that is reminiscent of the ivory-throated
Kelly Willis. For the most part though, this is a predictable album. But in the mainstream
country music world, predictability can often open doors.
~Erik Hage, All Music Guide
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Number of reviews: 1
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Paul
from Wisconsin
Just what I've been waiting for
Though she was heavily critized and not fully trained, Carmen Rasmusen was my favorite on American Idol. It was clear she had a country sound, one that would grow to be quite unique and powerful over time. I follwed her career moves over the following years and became more and frustrated that she had yet to release a full album. But the wait has paid off. Rasmusen's album is one of very few that I could listen to from beginning to end, over and over. Unlike many country albums, "Nothin Like the Summer" consists mostly of fun uptempo songs, which I believe is the album's strength. Her voice is powerful, sexy, and very different from anything you hear on mainstream radio. She's got a low intonation and a yodel-ish quality similar to Leann Rimes. Unlike her country female counterparts, Rasmusen's strength is in her embrace of her youth. Carrie Underwood for example has an amazing voice but seems much older because she is always singing meaningful ballads. Carmen Rasmusen keeps country music fresh, young, and fun in a genre that can often be predictable and unoriginal.
;)
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