IdolHeadEd.com - Kris Allen CD review: Good, Bad, or Ugly

IdolHeadEd writes
I bought Kris’s CD off iTunes so I got the iTunes pass. Was I glad or not?

I liked Kris on Idol this year. He seemed like just a guy who liked to hang around the house play his guitar and sing a few. I was fortunate enough to meet Kris when the Idol tour came to Atlanta. After I met him he seemed like just a guy who liked to hang around the house play his guitar and sing a few. In other words he is what he portrayed on the show. So why should we expect anything different from his music. What we get in his debut CD is nothing more or less what we would expect. Is that a good thing? I would say yes. And from what happened on the AMA’s it might have worked out better had Kris been the singer and Adam been the presenter. But I digress.

Let’s look at each tune and see how I liked it. The key here is how I liked it. It’s most likely you will not agree most of the time Kris fans or not.

“Before We Come Undone”
Starts off with a Pop guitar sound and is pleasant enough as is Kris’s voice. Moves quickly. There’s no doubt who is singing. It is signature Kris. The song itself is nothing that would stick with me. Grade B-

“Can’t Stay Away”
This is a Bluesy song which again is Kris signature sound. The intro makes it stand out on this CD. Not bad but not great. Grade B

“The Truth”
Mid tempo song that allows Kris to go from one end of his range to the other. The chorus really stands out on this one. Kris fans will love this one. It goes quite a few places melodically. Grade B+

“Written All Over My Face”
Electronic Pop intro here with a moderate rap feel. It then ventures into the guts of the song. I’m not sure how to exactly categorize this tune. It’s Pop but not Pop. It is a little monotonous in parts. Pleasant enough. Grade B-

“Bring it Back”
Piano intro with a soft spoken Kris gets my attention. It sounds like a ballad I would like. This sounds like song you would here in a movie mid way through the picture. It shows the anxiousness and emotion Kris can bring to his music. Not as good as I hoped but Kris fans will love it. Grade B

“Red Guitar”
Another mid tempo piece that allows Kris to exhibit his emotional connection to his music. I like it well enough. I don’t think it will be everyone’s favorite off the CD. I like the ending best. Grade C+

“Is It Over”
Another Bluesy type song and it moves with Bluesy pace throughout. Again this is a tune Ardent Kris fans will find attractive. Kris sounds fine and handles this kind of music well. Grade B-

“Let It Rain”
This is the first of songs on this CD that have the same title as other Idol songs. Jordin had a “Let It Rain” on her “Battlefield” CD. I think this might be the best tune on the CD. This allows Kris to do everything he can do in a song from range to long sustained notes. It is the one I like the best. I know Kris fans will love it.

“Alright With Me”
A little Jamaican sound on this up-tempo tune. Very fun song. I’m sure this will be a song he sings on tour when he has one and likely tries to get the crowd to sing along. Grade B

“Lifetime”
This mid-tempo ballad is quite good. Kris overshadows the background music just perfect. Again he is able to connect with this song very well. I think that will be his strong suit but it works better when you see him sing. This is another same title song on Kat McPhee’s new CD. Just sayin’. Grade B+

“I Need To Know”
This tune starts out like Kris is singing it just after he woke up. It sounds more like a song that would be used in a TV show when the visuals are showing someone leaving as their car speeds off in the distance. You may disagree. Grade C

“Heartless”
This version of “Heartless” is sped up about a half beat. I like the complimentary background music. Is it better than the show version? I would say they are both on the same level. I tend to like the CD version a little better. Grade B +

“From the Ashes”
This is an up-tempo piece Kris delivers in that Kris Allen way and I like it probably second best on the CD. It goes a lot of places melodically and emotionally. This is vintage Kris. Grade B+

How good is Kris’s CD? If you are Kris fan it’s is great. If you are not it is not a CD that you will want to rush out to buy. It’s a very vanilla album. While I won’t give it the “All the songs sound the same” moniker there is nothing that stands out on this CD that would make me go wow this guy is going to be the nest thing. It is really for his fans. Personally I like it but it won’t spend as much time in my CD player as say Jordin’s last CD.
If first week sales are any indicator (80,000) Kris has the biggest of uphill climbs to make it in the industry. It is the weakest debut in Idol history for a winner. It looks like Adam will have around 4 times the sales numbers as Kris. It will take some massive luck and happenstance to have this CD go platinum. You can bet he will be making an appearance or two this upcoming season on Idol. As will Adam, Kat, and Allison. As for my title, the CD was Good. Not bad or ugly. I know you were expecting the worst weren’t you?

I will not be reviewing Adam’s CD. I will leave that up to you out there and Linda K. I will be reviewing Allison’s CD on Friday. From what I have heard so far this will be the CD of the season and maybe all seasons.

Is it season 9 yet?

Idolhead Ed