Clear as Day
by Scotty McCreery
Metascore
51

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8
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  1. AllMusic
    Oct 3, 2011
    40
    Apart from ["You Make That Look Good" and "Write My Number on Your Hand"], the songs and production demand that all energy come from young Scotty, who amiably sleepwalks through the tunes.
  2. American Songwriter
    Oct 4, 2011
    60
    Even though there's nothing here Randy Travis didn't do first, McCreery flies the C&W flag proudly, singing hummable cherry picked songs that spotlight his impossibly deep voice and backwoods spirit.
  3. Boston Globe
    Oct 4, 2011
    70
    McCreery has plenty of deepening left to do as a performer, but he's off to a good start with this 12-track set about girls, God, family, and small-town life.
  5. Country Weekly
    Oct 5, 2011
    70
    Overall, a solid debut from a young, still-maturing artist.
  6. Entertainment Weekly
    Oct 5, 2011
    58
    On Clear as Day, American Idol's latest champ sounds like he's 52, and not just because of the Randy Travis baritone coming from his Opie Taylor mouth.
  7. PopMatters
    Jan 10, 2012
    30
    These are songs calculated to make an impact on the cliché idea of what a country fan is, playing off stereotypes of Jesus loving, hard working, hard loving life in the heartland, but there's no personality here.
  8. Rolling Stone
    Oct 4, 2011
    40
    His debut--a ho-hum jaunt through an America full of dog-eared Bibles, rugged pickup trucks and girls "hot as July, sweet as sunshine"--works overtime playing up his wide-eyed charm.
  9. The New York Times
    Oct 11, 2011
    60
    The energy of this album sometimes outpaces the singer, who's best when he's deliberate, and whose voice isn't as robust as it could be on these songs.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 13
  3. Negative: 3 out of 13
  1. sharpie47
    Oct 12, 2011
    10
    This is an excellent debut album from someone so young. It contains tons of potential hits that could launch Scotty's career as a countryThis is an excellent debut album from someone so young. It contains tons of potential hits that could launch Scotty's career as a country superstar. His voice sounds rich and toned, and he sings every word like he means it. His story-telling ability comes through as well.… Full Review »
  2. sinycalone
    Oct 10, 2011
    10
    Clear as Day is an excellent debut album. The song selections are perfect for Scotty, and he takes advantage of those choices by providingClear as Day is an excellent debut album. The song selections are perfect for Scotty, and he takes advantage of those choices by providing top-notch vocals. Leaning more towards traditional country, yet offering us glimpses of contemporary songs...it's a great introduction to his talents. The album has a very good balance of ballads, mid-tempo and uptempo numbers. It's hard to pick a favorite...but one very positive sign for the song list of this CD is that at least four or five songs other than the two already released could very easily be sent out as singles. (Those would be: Walk in the Country, Clear as Day, Better than That, Write My Number on Your Hand, and You Make That Look Good.) It's rare these days when you can say that an album has no songs that you'd want to skip....all are excellent.… Full Review »
  3. tloubee
    Oct 10, 2011
    10
    Excellent CD from an excellent new artist! Scotty may be young but that simply means we're going to have a lot of time to enjoy his uniqueExcellent CD from an excellent new artist! Scotty may be young but that simply means we're going to have a lot of time to enjoy his unique voice. There will be many more CDs from Scotty McCreery.… Full Review »
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