Billboard single reviews: Carrie Underwood, Beck

NEW YORK (Billboard) - The fourth single from Carrie Underwood's double-platinum "Carnival Ride" finds the singer charting new territory. Previous singles have stuck to a similar lyrical theme, contrasting between Underwood's girl-next-door image with inspirational or family-centered songs ("So Small," "All-American Girl") and her naughtier bad-girl side ("Before He Cheats," "Last Night"). "Just a Dream" delivers the heartbreaking, storytelling side of Nashville with the kind of song usually reserved for vets like Reba McEntire or Martina McBride. Underwood convincingly sells the story of a young widow of a soldier killed in combat, using shades of her emotive vocal to convey anger and despair. While the subject matter is sensitive in this day and time -- particularly for flag-waving country pundits -- it is rooted in reality.

ARTIST: TRISHA YEARWOOD

SINGLE: THEY CALL IT FALLING FOR A REASON (BIG MACHINE)

The follow-up to Trisha Yearwood's exceptional "This Is Me You're Talking To" from quintessential disc "Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love" is a vibrant number as fresh and inviting as a warm summer breeze. Penned by Matraca Berg and Jim Collins, the song perfectly captures that giddy, exhilarating rush of emotion that comes with falling in love. Yearwood's gorgeous voice, as always, soars from start to finish as she perfectly nails each line. Celebrated for her ability to beautifully deliver a heartfelt ballad, this song will remind that she's equally effective on faster fare. In fact, the current album features some of the best uptempos numbers any female country artist has cut in recent years.

ARTIST: BECK

SINGLE: CHEMTRAILS (INTERSCOPE)

Surprising with a neo-psychedelic full-band sound, Beck reveals a secret crush on My Bloody Valentine and other early-'90s shoegaze bands on "Chemtrails," the lead to new album "Modern Guilt." Over a hazy melt of thumping bass, lush piano chords and frantic live drumming, he conjures apocalyptic images of people falling out of airplanes: "I can't believe what we've seen outside, you and me, watching the jets go by," he sings in an ethereal, reverb-laden falsetto, too entranced to worry about coolness or irony. Even if this dreamy indie-rock workout lacks a gratifying radio hook, it leaves a vapor trail of melody and noise that is mesmerizing.

ARTIST: USHER

SINGLE: MOVING MOUNTAINS (LAFACE/ZOMBA)

2001's "U Got It Bad" was the story of a broken heart and 2004's "Burn" offered emotion following betrayal, but Usher's first ballad in four years, "Moving Mountains," is his most emotional epic cry yet. The dramatic, downtempo song includes chilling piano and pained yet robust vocals over light synth and earthy sounds of despair. "Mountains" is the third single from the chart-topping "Here I Am," which achieved the highest first-week sales for a male artist this year. The video is a continuation from previous No. 1 single "Love in This Club," a sort of wake-up to reality.

Reuters/Billboard