American Idle

I've never bothered to buy any CDs by any of the "American Idol" winners, because they've just never interested me, and I've never had a serious temptation to even watch the show. I did buy finalist Jim Verraros' CD (a pretty decent album), and have thought a bit about buying Bo Bice's album after enjoying his performance on Santana's latest CD, but that's as close as I've come to being an "American Idol" fan. I have, however, in recent years stumbled across a few good CDs by the winners of other "Idol" shows around the world, so here are a few recommendations....

Kurt Nilsen: "I" -- Winner of not only Norway's "Idol" show, but also of the global showdown "World Idol", and for good reason. This guy's got a hearty and slightly raspy (but far from irritating) voice which goes well with the rock-infused songs on this enjoyable album. (And it doesn't hurt that he covers songs by Duran Duran and Tal Bachman, two favorite acts of mine.)

Kalan Porter: "219 Days" -- Google a picture of the winner of "Canadian Idol" season two, and you'll find a skinny, baby-faced blond with delicate facial features. Listen to him sing, however, and you'll be hit with an amazingly solid voice that fluctuates from growling baritone to sweet-but-confident tenor. This is a fine selection of pop songs, with Kalan occasionally exhibiting his talent on the violin (including a cool solo for the album intro). You might laugh, but only from wondering how such a big, thick voice can come from such a thin, wispy body. Look for a contribution from Guess Who and BTO alum (and fellow Canadian) Randy Bachman.

Will Young: "Keep On" -- The third album from the winner of the first UK "Pop Idol" competition continues Mr. Young's steady upward climb in quality. He's got a skilled voice that can carry him through a broad variety of songs (well, as broad a variety as, say, the more adventurous Ronan Keating album), and is worth checking out.