While Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey have been generating all the buzz on this season of American Idol, there’s a dark horse in the running. That’s the quietly impressive Kris Allen.

Honestly, when Kris won his way into the finals I was disappointed. I’d written him off as a rather bland pretty boy. But lately he’s shown me that my assessment was a little premature.

His rendition of “Falling Slowly,” from the Irish indie love story Once starts a little shaky, but once it hits its stride it soars. Kris does everything right, building the song and making it his own.

If I were Adam and Danny, I’d watch my back!