Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Craig Wayne Boyd has released his post-Vocie debut album, Top Shelf.

Three years later, he’s released a debut album that’s had more starts and stops than a commercial-filled episode of the hit show he won.

But fans say “Top Shelf” was worth the wait.

The album quickly cracked the Top 20 on the iTunes country chart.

And check out these comments from Facebook:

Kimberly Rice: “Love every song, especially ‘We Sweat’ and ‘Sweet Temptation,’ great job on the entire album.”

TxLa Yaller: “Spotify, Google Play and ITunes – Done. 🙂 This is a truly spectacular album!!”

Kimbra Hughes Graves: “Who all listened to their album all night long? … I LOVE THE WHOLE ALBUM! Craig you out did yourself with this album.”

Stephanie Engle Bourgeois: “I’ve been jamming out it to since last night!! Absolute perfection!!!”

Kathleen Dow: “I listened to it all day!!!!!!!!!! I just put the top down and sang each song at the top of my lungs lol and if people stared at me I said I’m listening to CRAIG WAYNE BOYD YALL”

Julie Brumfield: “#TopShelf is rocking my #NewMusicFriday!”

As winner of The Voice, Craig automatically signed with the Big Machine label group. Suffice to say that arrangement didn’t work out.

Lots has happened since. He played the Grand Ole Opry, married Taylor Borland, released a single, launched a Pledge Music campaign to fund a post-show debut album, celebrated the birth of a daughter with Taylor and, ultimately, signed with the Copperline Music Group.

“We started the album shortly after coming off of The Voice but did not find a home for it until earlier this year,” Craig, 38, says in a press release about the project.

“A lot of life has been lived at that point, so I wanted to go back in the studio and record a few more so that the album reflected where I am in life right now. I feel that this album is now reflective of my life and the happiness that I have found in it.”

Back to Julie’s earlier comment about “rocking” — Craig’s at his best on “Top Shelf” when he’s doing just that.

“Stuck in My Head” is the lead single; Taylor lends a vocal assist on “Better Together.” But the tracks that stand out are the fun “Hold On Me,” the swaggering “Sweet Temptation” and the deliciously swampy “We Sweat.”

Then he ends the album with a great ballad, “Only in My Mind.”

Here’s an acoustic version of “We Sweat,” my favorite song from the album.