On his third full-length album, "Horizons," singer/songwriter and American Idol winner Kris Allen sharpens his songcraft and brings a more boldly open-hearted spirit to his soulful brand of pop- ock than ever before. With his past work including a 2009 self-titled debut featuring the platinum-selling single “Live Like We’re Dying,” Allen’s first independently released album finds him reaching a new level of sophistication in his melody-minded songwriting while fully tapping into his natural grace as a singer and guitarist. After writing much of the material for "Horizons" at home on his front porch in Arkansas, Allen headed to Nashville to team up with Charlie Peacock (the Grammy Award-nominated musician/songwriter/producer who’s previously worked with artists like Switchfoot, The Civil Wars, and Brett Dennen). The result weaves graceful R&B grooves, rootsy country/folk-rock riffs, and sublimely catchy pop hooks. “We did most of the songs in just a few takes instead of going through and making sure every single thing was completely perfect, which I think gives the album a different kind of energy than the records I’ve done in the past,” says Allen. That spontaneity comes through in Kris's stage performances, which combine charisma and a kind of direct communication with audiences that's all too rare today.