Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Next week will bring an unexpected musical treat — a debut album from Kendall Beard.

Now, unless you’re a die-hard fan of American Idol, you’re probably thinking “Kendall Who?”

Kendall Beard from American Idol Season 8 is about to release a debut album. (Facebook Photo)

Thirty-six contestants advanced to the semis that year. Idol mixed the guys and gals together, split them into groups of 12, let them sing just once, then let voters pick the top three from each group.

The judges added four wild card picks and, presto, Idol had put together perhaps its least diverse cast of finalists ever, complete with about six guys who all wanted to sing blue-eyed soul.

To make matters worse, Adam Lambert somehow failed to win.

Oh, well, enough about the Season 8 troubles.

Back to Kendall, who’s now in her late 20s, living in Austin and about to release a 10-track album called “All Around Girl.” Release date: Next Tuesday.

And, yeah, the album was a long time coming. But when I interviewed Kendall after Season 8, she expressed reluctance about slapping her pre-Idol music back onto MySpace, saying she wanted to make sure whatever music she put out for the public to hear represented the growth she had experienced as a singer and performer.

Sounds like that same desire to get it right led to a debut album that comes more than four years after she appeared on the show.

“It’s just amazing to have it finally done, because I’ve been working on it pretty much ever since I got off of American Idol,” Kendall told her hometown Luftin News in an article published last week. “As much as I wanted to get it out sooner, it’s kind of good that I didn’t, because everything that you hear is very personal.

“I kind of feel very vulnerable and a little bit like I’m standing naked in a crowded room because every song that’s on the album is something that has been written from a personal experience.”

For more about Kendall, visit her website.

Now, here’s a sample of her music — first, “Drinkin’,” one of the songs from Kendall’s album, followed by a duet with AJ Vallejo called “Outta State, Outta Mind” that will appear on a new album by The Whiskey Rebellion.

Two very impressive songs, I’d say.

Drinkin’

Outta State, Outta Mind