Delivered a decade after her 2011 debut Wildflower, Sitting Pretty on Top of the World finds former American Idol runner-up Lauren Alaina in something of a comfortable groove, singing country-pop that's so polished it gleams. Even when she brings in country traditionalist Jon Pardi for a duet on "Getting Over Him," Alaina winds up convincing him to sing over cavernous drum loops and pounding guitars. "Getting Over Him" sounds massive, but it pulsates to a midtempo beat, as does most of Sitting Pretty on Top of the World. ...
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Delivered a decade after her 2011 debut Wildflower, Sitting Pretty on Top of the World finds former American Idol runner-up Lauren Alaina in something of a comfortable groove, singing country-pop that's so polished it gleams. Even when she brings in country traditionalist Jon Pardi for a duet on "Getting Over Him," Alaina winds up convincing him to sing over cavernous drum loops and pounding guitars. "Getting Over Him" sounds massive, but it pulsates to a midtempo beat, as does most of Sitting Pretty on Top of the World. The arrangements change -- things get breezy on "When the Party's Over," "Same Story, Different Saturday Night" gets a little reflective -- but the steady beat means the album feels softly cohesive, providing smooth entertainment whether it's on a ballad or something sunnier. The consistency in tempo means that the album can feel slightly lulling when heard as a whole, yet as a collection of individual tracks, Sitting Pretty on Top of the World hits its target squarely in the middle of the road: it's adult contemporary country where Alaina feels equally at home on the light pop tunes and melodramatic showstoppers. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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