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5 out of 5 Turnips

I know it’s not fashionable to like musicians from American Idol. I also know that my contemporaries would scold me for having playlists that contain Dropkick Murphys, Escape The Fate, Pinback and Daughtry…

..but I just don’t care. Chris Daughtry’s freshman effort after being prematurely booted from last season’s Idol is fantastic.

The internet’s been abuzz with accusations of Daughtry being a Nickelback/3 Doors Down clone, but that’s complete hogwash. As a self-admitted die-hard Nickelback fan, I can say that there are “moments” where Chris and Chad sound alike…but they’re few and far between. And while I like 3 Doors Down, they don’t compare: every song on the Daughtry album is hot.

Most impressive for me is what Chris Daughtry didn’t do with this album: sell out. Not being one to sling around the term “sell out” when a band becomes successful, I’m unable to restrain my usage of the term when referring to Bo Bice, Gwen Stefani and (sadly) Hoobastank. All three of them used to rock my socks (granted, Bo did it on Idol…but he was cool then), and all three of them are now owners of some seriously shitty radio-written albums. Daughtry didn’t do any of that jazz. He sings his ass off with four dudes who are clearly into rock.

I love it, and here are my highlights:

• “There and Back Again” rocks my ass. The hook Chris busts out in the chorus sits just behind my frontal lobe all day long.
• “Breakdown” beautifully displays why he should have been last year’s American Idol. His falsetto in the first chorus is top notch.
• Prediction: “Home” will be the parting song on American Idol in future seasons: I’m goin’ home, to the place where I belong; where your love has always been enough for me. I’m runnin’ from, I think you got me all wrong; I don’t regret the life you chose for me. These places and these faces are growin’ old…I’m goin’ home.
• Rolling Stone says his lyrics are too sappy, and they lambast the album on account of it. The lyrics are sappy, but you forget to notice that as you’re slamming the steering wheel and belting out on I15 south.

Without question, Daughtry has become the most-played album in my house. My wife, my daughter, my dogs, and our Christmas tree all love (or, loved – in the case of the tree) this album. Go get it.

Update: Check this video for some footage of Chris talking about the very sell out/success issue from above.

technorati tags:daughtry, americanidol, hoobastank, gwenstefani, music, bobice, rock