With his rich tenor voice, distinctive looks, and endearingly innocent charm, Jason Castro won over millions of viewers as a contestant on the seventh season of American Idol, parlaying his substantial singer-songwriter appeal into a third-place 　　runner-up finish. He may not have won the competition, but the 22-year-old Texan earned himself a devoted fan base eager to hear what he would do once freed to perform his own songs. Those folks will get their chance with the release of Castro's self-titled debut album on Atlantic Records. 　　Though rooted in the classic, melody-minded singer-songwriter tradition, with heart-on-sleeve lyrics and acoustic 　　guitar-driven arrangements, the album brims with toe-tapping pop (first single 'Let's Just Fall In Love Again,' 'This Heart Of Mine'), strummy folk ('That's What I'm Here For,' the lilting 'If I Were You'), and electrifying rock ('Closer,' 'Heart of Stone') - all cleverly balanced with unabashedly emotional tunes like 'Love Uncompromised,' 'It Matters To Me,' 'You Can Always Come Home,' and a stunning version of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' (which Castro performed on Idol, citing Jeff Buckley's version as a huge inspiration to him as an artist). 　　To capture the moods he wanted, Castro collaborated with producer Eric Rosse (Sara Bareilles, Tori Amos) and a host of top-notch songwriters - including Marc Roberge of O.A.R., Gregg Wattenberg (Five For Fighting), Zac Maloy (David Cook), and Espionage (Train) - all of whom helped Castro create an earthy showcase for his considerable gifts as a vocalist, 　　songwriter, and musician, not to mention the warmth and sincerity that shines through everything he does. 'I feel like the album really captures my personality,' Castro says. 'People got to know me a bit on the show, so I wanted to build on that by including all these songs I've written about my life. I wanted to share with people the things that are meaningful to me.'