A "Small Town Girl" doesn't make good...

If you had told me at the conclusion of “American Idol” last season that Kellie Pickler would be the first finalist to release a CD, I would’ve said you were crazy. But here it is, the release of her CD, “Small Town Girl.”

I really hope this isn’t a preview of what’s to come from the rest of them.

I should preface this review by saying that I am not a country music fan. However, good music is good music. Carrie Underwood’s CD is good music. Josh Gracin’s CD is good music. Kellie Pickler’s CD is not.

The problem is that all the songs sound the same—like a bad Reba McEntire tribute album. Kellie’s big ballad “I Wonder” was such a Reba rip-off, I actually did an Internet search to see if it was a cover song. It wasn’t, that I could find, but the writers of “Whoever’s in New England” should probably sue.

Even though Kellie is clearly trying to emulate Reba, Martina McBride, and maybe even LeAnn Rimes, her voice packs nowhere near the necessary punch. It doesn’t help that she’s saddled with lyrics like “Didn’t I rock you when I loved you, baby” and her endless complaining about not having the right clothes or shoes.

If you’re a fan of Kellie, you’ll probably enjoy the CD, but if you’re looking for good country music, you won’t find it here.

You can listen to the CD for free at http://music.aol.com/songs/new_releases_full_cds.