Attention! Buy this album right now!
People aren't buying this album and there's NO good reason for it!
Thank You Camellia is the sophomore offering from American Idol Winner (but seriously, let's ignore that for the duration of this review) Kris Allen.
In contrast to his debut album, Kris's lyrical voice sounds authentic this go around. You can tell that he chose these songs - not the record label. Hell, he wrote most of them. From start to finish, this record is a delight. I don't skip a single song.
Re-read that last sentence. That is an amazing accomplishment. The only other album I have ever been able to say that about was Five for Fighting's Chances. Maybe I'm just a picky bitch with weird taste, but that doesn't diminish the strength of the record.
Though good - if a little schmaltzy - the lead single "The Vision of Love" is far and away not the most radio-friendly track on the album, so I'm a little perplexed as to why it was chosen when fun, poppy, summer songs like "Better with You" or even "My Weakness" could have been selected to get some airplay and hype for the new record.
Then again, he's never really tried to be a radio sensation.
Call him a throwback or an idiot if you want, but even though his tunes aren't spinning on every station in every city at every second, he doesn't seem to mind. He's making a living writing and playing music. He knows it's quality work. He has wonderful, supportive fans who believe in what he's doing. For Allen, that seems to be enough.
So, maybe he'll never reach Katy Perry or Adele status, but if there's one thing that can be taken away from Thank You Camellia, it's that he cares about what he's doing. He cares about sharing a story with every song. Evoking an emotion. Transporting you back to a time in your life where you can relate.
Thank You Camellia is genuine and in my book, that's worth more than topping the charts.
Preview Thank You Camellia on Amazon.
