Out of American Idol

You do not need to win American Idol in order to become a star. Proofs are in the success of Academy Award winning Jennifer Hudson, in the sensational Adam Lambert and the biggest of them all Chris Daughtry with his band Daughtry. So now you may say hello to another one, the red-headed firebrand with the powerful voice Alison Iraheta.

Allison at 17, was the youngest contestant to make it to the Top 12 in Idol history. She reminded people of first Idol Kelly Clarkson but with more spunk, or a sort of wholesome Janis Joplin. And that is just what her debut CD Just Like You sounds like, a cross between Kelly and Janis but, and this must be Allison’s own input, with some dance vibe.

When you get down to the basics though, it is really a pop album, which I think is just right for Allison’s age and those of her fans. This brings up the question of why she has something like the Beat Me Up about a sadistic boyfriend. Pink or Janet Jackson would have done better with this song. But get rid of that and she fares very well.

Scars, Trouble Is, Pieces, Still Breathing and Just Like You are the vocal stand outs. She sounds great although I get the feeling she is still holding back. Radio should like Don’t Waste The Pretty, D Is For Dangerous, Holiday and No One Else. And it is nice to see that Allison tried her hand at songwriting with You Don’t Know Me.

Danny Gokey was actually my favorite Idol finalist from last season. He came in third after winner Kris Allen and Lambert. I thought there was just too much honesty in the way he sings that one couldn’t help but be caught in his emotions. He lost. On the other hand though, as we already know there are really no losers among the truly talented. And Gokey really is.

So it is no surprise that Gokey got to do an album, too. It is titled My Best Days. The surprise in his case is that he is singing country. I thought all along that he would go into rock or country rock like Daughtry did. But given the wealth of emotions he puts into his songs, country might just be the sort of music that suits him best. I think of country songs as little tearjerkers and the likeable Gokey serves up a lot of these in his CD.

This is a good one that even pop music fans will enjoy. My only complaint here is the cover. The song lyrics and credits are printed in tiny, tiny and very tiny type on the sleeve. I wanted to check out if Gokey wrote any of the songs, which are really good. But you need a magnifying glass to read them and I do not have one at the moment.

The best tracks are My Best Days Are Ahead Of Me and Tiny Life. But I would choose the irresistible I Still Believe for his single. Other songs in the CD are Like That’s A Bad Thing, Get Away, It’s Only, Life On Ya, Crazy Not To, Be Somebody and not to forget, the most heart wrenching of the lot, I Will Not Say Goodbye.

Speaking of country sounds, here is one from Idol’s biggest discovery. AI judge Simon Cowell really nailed it on the head when he predicted that then contestant from a small town Carrie was destined to be the most successful Idol ever. That is just what she has become, a big-selling, award winning country music star with tremendous crossover appeal.

This is no mean feat considering how fanatically loyal fans can be to country music divas. Think Tammy, Reba, Naomi, Shania, Faith and others. Judging from how much her recordings sell and how much of a star she looks like these days, it is clear that fans have added the name Carrie to their list.

Play On by Carrie is her third and best album to date. I do not know how country fans feel about this but it is also the most pop and most commercial. The girl is doing the crossover bit. She is sure to succeed. And she is singing better than ever. More range and feeling. Check out Undo It and she has really great songs like Cowboy Casanova, Songs Like This, Someday When I Stop Loving You, Temporary Home and Look At Me.