Review: Nothing subtle about country star Underwood

Does Carrie Underwood ever do anything that's not vocally over the top? The former American Idol performed Friday night at Scotiabank Place, bringing an outsized set of lungs and a relentless attack to her pop-country stylings. It was the type of show that wears thin after about five minutes and deteriorates from there.


Not that Underwood is a wholly untalented diva. She does reach the notes - a good thing in a singer - and she has a flair for translating spunk into song. She's also largely outgrown the on-stage eagerness of many Idol performers. The 25-year-old who's captured three Grammys and a string of country music awards can even seem like a budding Martina McBride when she tackles a big heartland number like All-American girl, which was on Friday's bill.

But Underwood knows nothing about musical subtlety. With rare exceptions, it's full bore, full time - big, rafter-hitting productions for their own sake, not because they're integral to the song. Flat on the Floor, her steamroller opening number Friday, is fun, but once is enough.

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