Idol Chatter & Voice Views

If you’ve listened to Kellie Pickler’s new album, “100 Proof,” one thing becomes instantly clear.

Gone are songs about “Red High Heels” and being a “Smalltown Girl.”  Gone are “Rocks Instead of Rice” and songs about shoe-shopping.

This is a more mature Kellie — after all, she’s 25 and married now — singing more traditional country songs.

Whether or not that translates into commercial success will become clear over the next few weeks.

For now, the critics are loving the change.  Here’s a sampling …

Slant Magazine: Gives Kellie 3.5 stars out of 5, saying “100 Proof proves that Pickler is capable of far more than she previously let on.”

New York Newsday: Gives Kellie a B+

Allmusic.com: Gives Kellie 4 stars out of 5, saying, “it’s an album that’s not just good when graded on a curve, but good by any measure.”

New York Daily News: Gives Kellie 3 stars out of 5, saying Kellie goes “vintage and proves she’s country strong.”

Her weakest review so far comes from The Washingotn Post, which didn’t grade the album, but run a review under the headline Kellie Pickler’s ‘100 Proof’ tastes a little weak.