AMG Review of State of the Heart

William Ruhlmann
All Music Guide

Carpenter, a folkie, eventually turned to the country market, especially on her third album, Shooting Straight in the Dark. On this, her second, she's still in transition, which makes her more thoughtful than the average country singer and catchier than the average folkie, especially on her breakthrough country hit, "Never Had It So Good." Also includes "Quittin' Time," "Something of a Dreamer," and "How Do."