CD REVIEW: Kris Allen "Kris Allen"

Sometimes the people get it right, and when they selected Kris Allen as the winner (over Adam Lambert) of American Idol season 8 they chose the better musician. Kris Allen is the perfect image of what it means to be a musician plucked out of nowhere and thrown into the public eye. Not that it isn't deserved, but it was more whirlwind than many singer/songwriters rise to popularity. Regardless, his debut album is pretty darn good. It features a majority of songs that were either written or co-written by Allen himself, which is not something that most Idol winners can say (at least not on their debut). "Red Guitar" is the album's hands down best song, and consequently was written solely by Allen with no co-authors. He fits right into the same vein as other popular singer/songwriters like John Mayer, Howie Day, and Graham Colton. Allen has been around and did record music before now, but he finally was given his shot and proved that someone should have taken a chance on him long ago. Many Idol winners fade from the spotlight, and despite that, Allen will have a fruitful career on the heels of his debut, and he may surprise everyone by just sticking it out for the long haul.