Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Let me be among the first to congratulate Crystal Bowersox.

Wow. Great album.

The best debut by an Idol finalist yet, in my estimation.

Better than Carrie Underwood’s “Some Hearts”?

Yep.

As talented as Carrie is, she had the hits handed to her.

Better than Adam Lambert’s “For Your Entertainment”?

Yep.

Adam ranks right alongside Fantasia as one of the top vocalists to make the Idol finals.

But there’s nothing as earnest on his debut as the best three or four songs off Crystal’s album.

Take note, Lee DeWyze. Take note, Kris Allen.

An Idol finalist doesn’t need to lose themselves making an album within the confines of the Idol machine.

Oh, there are a couple of Idol moments on “Farmer’s Daughter,” which hits stores Tuesday.

“Lonely Won’t Come Around” is jarringly pop-sounding, especially since it follows the heartfelt honesty Crystal serves up in a pair of songs she wrote: the title track and “Holy Toledo.”

But listen to those two songs, along with “Speak Now” (no, that’s not a cover of the Taylor Swift tune) and the album-closing “Arlene.”

I’ll say it again: Wow!

“Farmer’s Daughter” and “Speak Now” are among the best songs to come out of any Idol contestant, at any point in their careers.

For now, you can still listen to the full album for free over an AOL.com.

Tomorrow, we get the album.

Meanwhile, here’s Crystal singing Farmer’s Daughter on Regis & Kelly earlier today. It’s a shortened version of the song, but it makes the point. Followed by the video of her singing the same song Friday night on Late Night with Jay Leno.