Listening to her new album, I had largely the same reaction. I enjoyed a few songs on the album immensely ("Feelin' Pretty Good Right Now," and the title track, "Some Songs"), others, I just felt so-so about in terms of my personal taste.
Yet again, the musicianship and the talent in the music is undeniable. Clark is a very talented vocalist, and she will rarely take on a song that she can't handle. She knows where her strengths are, but she is also willing to take risks and move outside of her comfort range. Often times, this will pay off for her.
I mentioned "Feelin' Pretty Good Right Now" and "Some Songs" as two songs I felt particularly stronger about. But by far, my favorite song on the album is "Bad Car." It's on this song where Clark's voice is at its best while she sings about saying goodbye to a first car. This is a theme one would traditionally expect to hear from a male singer, so it's especially nice to hear something like this from a female vocalist. The emotion and honesty that Clark puts in the song is undeniable.
Other times, there's songs which don't pay off as much. "Just Add Water" feels like a song Brad Paisley wrote and decided not to record. And while Clark sings it well, in the current country environment, there's an over-saturation of songs like these. As an album cut, maybe it serves its purpose as just a feel-good song, but it's definitely not one that should be released as a single.
As has been often noted, country music is in need of great female singers and performers right now. Clark certainly fits that bill. She has shown in the past that she has star power. And even if she doesn't have the same vocal prowess as singers like Trisha Yearwood or Mary Chapin Carpenter, she can certainly add to what is currently being played on the radio and make things better.
Overall, I was impressed with this album. It's certainly not an album that will find a lot of repeat play in my personal collection, but I know there will be a lot of country fans out there who will be happy to see Clark return to making music. I'll hope that radio is willing to give Clark a chance once again.