Thursday, February 28, 2008
American Idol season 7 - top 16 revealed
Tonight AI whittled down the contestants once again, and 3 of the 4 were pretty predictable, while one was a minor surprise (I never saw it coming). Robbie Carrico (plus his wig) and Jason Yeager were summarily dismissed. Alexandrea Lushington was put out of her misery, she just never found her groove, and lost her spark. The surprise was held for the end when it came down to Kady Malloy and Alaina Whitaker. Kady was resigned to be going home, and then Seacrest called out Alaina's name, Kady was given a week's reprieve, but Alaina was destroyed for a few confusing seconds, and wanted desperately to be anywhere but the stage, and protested to singing her song once more. AI is kind of cruel in having dismissed contestants sing the song that got them booted on results night, but it's part of the show, and the contestants know it's coming. After some overly syrupy platitudes of a bright future in music offered by Paula, Seacrest offered Alaina the choice to sing or not, and Alaina stiffled her initial flight response, and gave the audience one more performance, backed by all the rest of the gals still in the show. I don't recall ever seeing such an emotional response to being sent home by any other AI contestant, but Alaina's still young, just 17, and the speedily delivered news from Seacrest just sent her on tilt and provided a somewhat rather true emotional moment of disappointment on AI. That's reality TV for ya.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
American Idol season 7 - top 20 - top 10 gals roundup
Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella left the competition last week, so it's on to the final 10 gals:
Carly Smithson - Overall, a decent performance, marred by strained big notes that went from pleasing to the ear to just sharp noise in spots. I think she needs to pick a song that has less pyrotechnic notes, and more simple melodies and hooks within the song as her voice is built for such songs. I need a little more control from Carly's singing, and reining in her range and just inhabit the song itself.
Syesha Mercado - She's got a nice, wide and smooth range, but I fear her voice is not distinctive enough to separate her from the pack. The song itself was not a good choice, a little too safe and boring, I don't think Syesha connected with the song either, and it stifled her singing.
Brooke White - Enjoyed Brooke's performance, though she needs to ditch the guitar, just sing, baby. What sets Brooke apart is the timber of her vocals that just swells in the chorus and gives you chills down your spine. She doesn't have the widest range and should avoid songs requiring power vocals (any diva song, more or less). Her voice is very smoothing and melodic, which helps in the story-telling of the song. I think she'll do well in the adult contemporary / easy listening side of radio because her vocal style isn't "pop" enough.
Ramiele Malubai - Took forever to get her vocal engines going, but I fear she sort of sounded more like a karoake singer, imbuing the song with very limited amounts of charisma and conviction, so she stayed in an uninteresting groove to the very end, and left little impression on me this time around. She needs to find better songs to showcase her vocal subtlety and range/power. I think I just want her to give a damn when she's performing, and tonight wasn't such a performance.
Kristy Lee Cook - You know, for a pretty girl, Kristy is sort of tough to watch perform because she's got that weird singing stance/squat and facial expressions, plus she botched a few power notes with some weird scratchiness (like phlegm getting dislodged during the middle of a note). I think she's better suited for Nashville Star because that's where her vocals lean, and I think just about everything she sings will have that country lilt and twang to it. The good thing is that her voice is distinctive within this competition, the bad thing is that she sounds like about a thousand other female country singers.
Amanda Overmeyer - Gotta give it up to Amanda for raising the energy level of the show, but I fear she's either a smoker, or just doesn't have enough vocal control for quiet-sounding verses (almost going breathless in spots). The other negative is that she doesn't have the ability to go up and down octave ranges within the melodies of the song, which just makes for flat-sounding, loud, singing at times. Overall, a regrettable song choice that exposed a lot of her weaknesses instead of bolstering her strengths. I don't like her chances for the top 6 for the girls.
Alaina Whitaker - I liked her vocals on this song, though she had one run-up vocal note that got away from her, but she gave a Star Search quality performance, which I'm not sure that's what AI is looking for. I think she's got a lot of potential, and I like that she is willing to let herself go when she sings, even with a ballad. Overall, I found it enjoyable enough to want her to come back next week.
Alexandrea Lushington - I think if she went with a R&B vibe for the entire song that she gave us a glimpse of at the end of the song, the song would have been more interesting, but even with the little runs at the end of notes, I was left unmoved by her performance as she looked very uncomfortable, and sounded uninspired. She could be vulnerable for the boot tomorrow.
Kady Malloy - Tip #1: Don't walk downstairs while you sing. This opening threw her off her game, and she still needs to learn how to perform on stage in terms of being at ease with herself. She's still too nervous, which doesn't allow her to let go and allow the song to flow out of her organically. I think she still has a good recording artist potential, but stage presence is keeping her from giving good vocal performances that are consistent from the first note to the last one. She sings off-balance, and almost needs the entire song to find that center, and that's just not good enough. She has to be centered from get-go, and not reach haphazardly for that balance like a drunken person trying to walk a straight line.
Asia'h Epperson - This song's beginning had all the markings of a disaster, blowing the first chorus, but she kept going, gave us a big finish, but it was kind of difficult to listen to that big long note because she was really digging it out (without the ease of someone else with better range and control), which also exposed her vocal range, so she gets props for trying the hardest song, but didn't have the pipes to back up her audacious attempt.
Rankings - this was tough because no one hit a home run, or even approached a triple, just a really average night for the gals.
Enjoyable
Brooke White
Alaina Whitaker
Middling
Carly Smithson
Under-performed
Syesha Mercado
Ramiela Malubai
Kady Malloy
Kristy Lee Cook
Over-reached
Asia'h Epperson
Amanda Overmeyer
Uninteresting
Alexandrea Lushington
I fear it's probably the end of the road for Alexandrea Lushington and possibly Amanda Overmeyer or Asia'h Epperson.
Carly Smithson - Overall, a decent performance, marred by strained big notes that went from pleasing to the ear to just sharp noise in spots. I think she needs to pick a song that has less pyrotechnic notes, and more simple melodies and hooks within the song as her voice is built for such songs. I need a little more control from Carly's singing, and reining in her range and just inhabit the song itself.
Syesha Mercado - She's got a nice, wide and smooth range, but I fear her voice is not distinctive enough to separate her from the pack. The song itself was not a good choice, a little too safe and boring, I don't think Syesha connected with the song either, and it stifled her singing.
Brooke White - Enjoyed Brooke's performance, though she needs to ditch the guitar, just sing, baby. What sets Brooke apart is the timber of her vocals that just swells in the chorus and gives you chills down your spine. She doesn't have the widest range and should avoid songs requiring power vocals (any diva song, more or less). Her voice is very smoothing and melodic, which helps in the story-telling of the song. I think she'll do well in the adult contemporary / easy listening side of radio because her vocal style isn't "pop" enough.
Ramiele Malubai - Took forever to get her vocal engines going, but I fear she sort of sounded more like a karoake singer, imbuing the song with very limited amounts of charisma and conviction, so she stayed in an uninteresting groove to the very end, and left little impression on me this time around. She needs to find better songs to showcase her vocal subtlety and range/power. I think I just want her to give a damn when she's performing, and tonight wasn't such a performance.
Kristy Lee Cook - You know, for a pretty girl, Kristy is sort of tough to watch perform because she's got that weird singing stance/squat and facial expressions, plus she botched a few power notes with some weird scratchiness (like phlegm getting dislodged during the middle of a note). I think she's better suited for Nashville Star because that's where her vocals lean, and I think just about everything she sings will have that country lilt and twang to it. The good thing is that her voice is distinctive within this competition, the bad thing is that she sounds like about a thousand other female country singers.
Amanda Overmeyer - Gotta give it up to Amanda for raising the energy level of the show, but I fear she's either a smoker, or just doesn't have enough vocal control for quiet-sounding verses (almost going breathless in spots). The other negative is that she doesn't have the ability to go up and down octave ranges within the melodies of the song, which just makes for flat-sounding, loud, singing at times. Overall, a regrettable song choice that exposed a lot of her weaknesses instead of bolstering her strengths. I don't like her chances for the top 6 for the girls.
Alaina Whitaker - I liked her vocals on this song, though she had one run-up vocal note that got away from her, but she gave a Star Search quality performance, which I'm not sure that's what AI is looking for. I think she's got a lot of potential, and I like that she is willing to let herself go when she sings, even with a ballad. Overall, I found it enjoyable enough to want her to come back next week.
Alexandrea Lushington - I think if she went with a R&B vibe for the entire song that she gave us a glimpse of at the end of the song, the song would have been more interesting, but even with the little runs at the end of notes, I was left unmoved by her performance as she looked very uncomfortable, and sounded uninspired. She could be vulnerable for the boot tomorrow.
Kady Malloy - Tip #1: Don't walk downstairs while you sing. This opening threw her off her game, and she still needs to learn how to perform on stage in terms of being at ease with herself. She's still too nervous, which doesn't allow her to let go and allow the song to flow out of her organically. I think she still has a good recording artist potential, but stage presence is keeping her from giving good vocal performances that are consistent from the first note to the last one. She sings off-balance, and almost needs the entire song to find that center, and that's just not good enough. She has to be centered from get-go, and not reach haphazardly for that balance like a drunken person trying to walk a straight line.
Asia'h Epperson - This song's beginning had all the markings of a disaster, blowing the first chorus, but she kept going, gave us a big finish, but it was kind of difficult to listen to that big long note because she was really digging it out (without the ease of someone else with better range and control), which also exposed her vocal range, so she gets props for trying the hardest song, but didn't have the pipes to back up her audacious attempt.
Rankings - this was tough because no one hit a home run, or even approached a triple, just a really average night for the gals.
Enjoyable
Brooke White
Alaina Whitaker
Middling
Carly Smithson
Under-performed
Syesha Mercado
Ramiela Malubai
Kady Malloy
Kristy Lee Cook
Over-reached
Asia'h Epperson
Amanda Overmeyer
Uninteresting
Alexandrea Lushington
I fear it's probably the end of the road for Alexandrea Lushington and possibly Amanda Overmeyer or Asia'h Epperson.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
American Idol season 7 - top 20 - top 10 guys roundup
Colton Berry and Jared Haley left the competition last week, so it's on to the final 10 guys:
Michael Johns - thoroughly lackluster effort by Michael Johns tonight. He brought nothing original to the song, but he seemed to struggle finishing off notes, so I don't know if he's under the weather, or just couldn't bring it tonight.
Jason Castro - another so-so effort dominated by Jason's guitar strumming, and his vocals just weren't imaginative or impressive at all. A minor setback for the dreaded one.
Luke Menard - the vocals were sung in a key too high for comfortable listening, and the lack of bass in Luke's vocals make it tough to enjoy a Queen song that was performed with much more zest and fire, which Luke lacked during most of his performance tonight.
Robbie Carrico - I felt like I was watching David Spade trying his best in a karoake contest because Robbie started out okay, but the song just sort of petered out, and Robbie never sold the song with the urgency and energy that this song demands.
Danny Noriega - covering a Carperter's song requires a strong commitment to singing it a higher key than Danny did, and he went a little too slow to the point of being a bit boring and tired by the end of the song. It's almost like watching Jessica Alba's kid brother sing when I look at Danny singing at times.
David Hernandez - the evening's first good, solid performance where you got the impression he commited to the song, and went for broke, but in a controlled manner. He did have a bit of a shlisp sound here and there, but overall, he had a good night.
Jason Yeager - a manic performance in terms of head movements and poor mic technique led to improper fade-outs. Jason still doesn't really know what to do with his voice, or his style without coming across too cheesy, but he did this week.
Chikezie - a very nice rebound with a solid performance with good vocal power and control, and he had fun with with the song, and really swung for the fences and nailed it. He really sold the 70's vibe of the song, too.
David Cook - Robbie Carrico should take some notes from David because David was rocking it tonight, good throaty vocals, but the only negative thing were the thin chorus lines that fell flat, but the rest of the performance was entertaining, and sounded legit.
David Archuleta - he's got such a distinctive voice and he commands your attention, and he never lets go of it until he's finished. David hits a home run tonight compared the rest of the field tonight. Good job.
Rankings
Worth listening to again and again:David Archuleta
David Cook
Chikezie
Worth listening to again:
David Hernandez
Once was enough:
Danny Noriega
Jason Castro
Michael Johns
Put them out of their misery, please:
Jason Yeager
Robbie Carrico
Luke Menard
I think Jason Yeager and Robbie Carrico are going home (but wouldn't be surprise if it's Jason Y, and Luke that go home).
Michael Johns - thoroughly lackluster effort by Michael Johns tonight. He brought nothing original to the song, but he seemed to struggle finishing off notes, so I don't know if he's under the weather, or just couldn't bring it tonight.
Jason Castro - another so-so effort dominated by Jason's guitar strumming, and his vocals just weren't imaginative or impressive at all. A minor setback for the dreaded one.
Luke Menard - the vocals were sung in a key too high for comfortable listening, and the lack of bass in Luke's vocals make it tough to enjoy a Queen song that was performed with much more zest and fire, which Luke lacked during most of his performance tonight.
Robbie Carrico - I felt like I was watching David Spade trying his best in a karoake contest because Robbie started out okay, but the song just sort of petered out, and Robbie never sold the song with the urgency and energy that this song demands.
Danny Noriega - covering a Carperter's song requires a strong commitment to singing it a higher key than Danny did, and he went a little too slow to the point of being a bit boring and tired by the end of the song. It's almost like watching Jessica Alba's kid brother sing when I look at Danny singing at times.
David Hernandez - the evening's first good, solid performance where you got the impression he commited to the song, and went for broke, but in a controlled manner. He did have a bit of a shlisp sound here and there, but overall, he had a good night.
Jason Yeager - a manic performance in terms of head movements and poor mic technique led to improper fade-outs. Jason still doesn't really know what to do with his voice, or his style without coming across too cheesy, but he did this week.
Chikezie - a very nice rebound with a solid performance with good vocal power and control, and he had fun with with the song, and really swung for the fences and nailed it. He really sold the 70's vibe of the song, too.
David Cook - Robbie Carrico should take some notes from David because David was rocking it tonight, good throaty vocals, but the only negative thing were the thin chorus lines that fell flat, but the rest of the performance was entertaining, and sounded legit.
David Archuleta - he's got such a distinctive voice and he commands your attention, and he never lets go of it until he's finished. David hits a home run tonight compared the rest of the field tonight. Good job.
Rankings
Worth listening to again and again:David Archuleta
David Cook
Chikezie
Worth listening to again:
David Hernandez
Once was enough:
Danny Noriega
Jason Castro
Michael Johns
Put them out of their misery, please:
Jason Yeager
Robbie Carrico
Luke Menard
I think Jason Yeager and Robbie Carrico are going home (but wouldn't be surprise if it's Jason Y, and Luke that go home).
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
American Idol season 7 - top 24 - top 12 gals roundup
Kristy Lee Cook - Wow, thoroughly underwhelming performance (totally wrong song choice that did not suit her vocal stylings), plus she made these strange wide-eye movements that didn't help matters. It's unfortunate for her that she was under the weather because it really weakened her vocal presence and she basically receded into the background as her performance limped to the finish.
Joanne Borgella - Not too entertaining of a performance, and her vocals remained a little too screechy in spots as her vocal range is tilted towards the high end, without much bottom end to her vocals. It's true that as she tries to sing louder and higher, her vocals get smaller instead of expanding. Makes me mad that they passed on Cardin for her. Grr...
Alaina Whitaker - Hey, now that's a nice performance, full of youthful vigor and a decent amount of range. Somehow AI found a way to clone Carrie Underwood, but a pop version of her, but it works. She's got a nice stage presence in terms of personality while she sings (just looks like she's having a great time while singing, which engages the audience), so I think she's a top 6 girl to watch. I think she'll have a good birthday tomorrow.
Amanda Overmeyer - Imagine crossing somewhat drunken Britney Spears with Janis Joplin, and you get Amanda, the Rock Nurse. She rocks harder than Robbie Carrico ever thought about rocking, and probably has bigger balls (metaphorically speaking) than half the male contestants this season. The performance was more of a "can't miss" viewing in terms of predictability, where her style and gloss over-shadowed the song itself, so from that POV, she put her own stamp on it. Don't think she'll be a great recording artist, but her live performances promise to be interesting and fun to watch.
Amy Davis - It sounded like her vocals were a little flat in spots, and went "pitchy" in the longer notes, which resulted in a frayed-sounding performance. Not a song that gave her a shot to showcase her talent. Not sure if she was under the weather, but I'd be surprised she makes it to the top 6 girls, just not quite good enough.
Brooke White - love the tone of her voice, she's got a good stage presence in terms of inhabiting the spirit of the song, too. She's got a good recording artist voice as well, so I hope she goes far because she's one to watch and listen.
Alexandrea Lushington - Totally nailed her song with a controlled but energetic performance. I was eating dinner at the start of the song, but I quickly quit chewing and just listened to and watched a really fun performance. She's another one to keep an eye out on, I think she's a shoo-in for the top 6 for the girls. Simon missed the boat on her. I do wonder if she's got an extra octave in her vocal range, though, but she did make it look really easy tonight on the stage. I think she's more a live performer than a recording artist, though. Atlanta represent.
Kady Malloy - I thought she had a solid vocal, with just a couple of stumbles, but there is so much potential in this gal. The judges got a little carried away in the personality department (but see Alaina Whitaker for someone who's comfortable with who she is, and it shows). She's definitely got a recording artist voice (it's so elastic with boundless possibilities, I suspect), and just needs a little more stage work to balance the live performance aspect for her total presentation. When she gets her head on straight, she'll be a force to be reckoned with. Looking forward to her making it to the top 6 gals as well.
Asia'h Epperson - Apparently she was born without the "H" in her vocabulary, but she's a good, infectious, good-feeling, stage performer, and injects the song with her own distinctive raspiness that provides a nice R&B slice to the song. But she's not someone whose voice I'd want to listen to for any length of time, that's just me, though.
Ramiele Malubai - Enjoyed the second half of the song moreso than the first half (just too damn slow), but she's got some pipes with good control and a nice lilt at times, but I feel it's better suited for live performances than the recording studio because it's not an instantly recognizable voice to my ears. I want to hear her sing a more uptempo song just to see if she can keep up the pace.
Syesha Mercado - she's got the big guns in terms of vocals, a really wide range, and a really strong singer, but is it enough? Will she succumb to diva-ville? I want to like her more, but there's something that leaves me a little cold about her singing. I also wonder if she can handle the intimate, low-key songs as well. Time will tell. I think she leans more toward being a better live performer than recording artist.
Carly Smithson - I thought she started out well, got that Anne Wilson vibe, but she over-sang the second half of the song and it got a little sordid for me. I didn't like how her mic went in and out with her holding of it, it undercut the notes to me. I think she could be a better singer if she had just a little more restraint so that she doesn't over-reach for the big long notes. I wish I enjoyed it more, but I didn't.
My initial rankings, but it's a grab-bag for the top 9, but the bottom 3 are pretty set for me at this point:
Enjoyable:
Alaina Whitaker
Ramiele Malubai
Syesha Mercado
Brooke White
Alexandrea Lushington
Kady Malloy
Undecided
Asia'h Epperson
Carly Smithson
Amanda Overmeyer
Disappointing
Joanne Borgella
Kristy Lee Cook
Amy Davis
I think Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella are going home.
Joanne Borgella - Not too entertaining of a performance, and her vocals remained a little too screechy in spots as her vocal range is tilted towards the high end, without much bottom end to her vocals. It's true that as she tries to sing louder and higher, her vocals get smaller instead of expanding. Makes me mad that they passed on Cardin for her. Grr...
Alaina Whitaker - Hey, now that's a nice performance, full of youthful vigor and a decent amount of range. Somehow AI found a way to clone Carrie Underwood, but a pop version of her, but it works. She's got a nice stage presence in terms of personality while she sings (just looks like she's having a great time while singing, which engages the audience), so I think she's a top 6 girl to watch. I think she'll have a good birthday tomorrow.
Amanda Overmeyer - Imagine crossing somewhat drunken Britney Spears with Janis Joplin, and you get Amanda, the Rock Nurse. She rocks harder than Robbie Carrico ever thought about rocking, and probably has bigger balls (metaphorically speaking) than half the male contestants this season. The performance was more of a "can't miss" viewing in terms of predictability, where her style and gloss over-shadowed the song itself, so from that POV, she put her own stamp on it. Don't think she'll be a great recording artist, but her live performances promise to be interesting and fun to watch.
Amy Davis - It sounded like her vocals were a little flat in spots, and went "pitchy" in the longer notes, which resulted in a frayed-sounding performance. Not a song that gave her a shot to showcase her talent. Not sure if she was under the weather, but I'd be surprised she makes it to the top 6 girls, just not quite good enough.
Brooke White - love the tone of her voice, she's got a good stage presence in terms of inhabiting the spirit of the song, too. She's got a good recording artist voice as well, so I hope she goes far because she's one to watch and listen.
Alexandrea Lushington - Totally nailed her song with a controlled but energetic performance. I was eating dinner at the start of the song, but I quickly quit chewing and just listened to and watched a really fun performance. She's another one to keep an eye out on, I think she's a shoo-in for the top 6 for the girls. Simon missed the boat on her. I do wonder if she's got an extra octave in her vocal range, though, but she did make it look really easy tonight on the stage. I think she's more a live performer than a recording artist, though. Atlanta represent.
Kady Malloy - I thought she had a solid vocal, with just a couple of stumbles, but there is so much potential in this gal. The judges got a little carried away in the personality department (but see Alaina Whitaker for someone who's comfortable with who she is, and it shows). She's definitely got a recording artist voice (it's so elastic with boundless possibilities, I suspect), and just needs a little more stage work to balance the live performance aspect for her total presentation. When she gets her head on straight, she'll be a force to be reckoned with. Looking forward to her making it to the top 6 gals as well.
Asia'h Epperson - Apparently she was born without the "H" in her vocabulary, but she's a good, infectious, good-feeling, stage performer, and injects the song with her own distinctive raspiness that provides a nice R&B slice to the song. But she's not someone whose voice I'd want to listen to for any length of time, that's just me, though.
Ramiele Malubai - Enjoyed the second half of the song moreso than the first half (just too damn slow), but she's got some pipes with good control and a nice lilt at times, but I feel it's better suited for live performances than the recording studio because it's not an instantly recognizable voice to my ears. I want to hear her sing a more uptempo song just to see if she can keep up the pace.
Syesha Mercado - she's got the big guns in terms of vocals, a really wide range, and a really strong singer, but is it enough? Will she succumb to diva-ville? I want to like her more, but there's something that leaves me a little cold about her singing. I also wonder if she can handle the intimate, low-key songs as well. Time will tell. I think she leans more toward being a better live performer than recording artist.
Carly Smithson - I thought she started out well, got that Anne Wilson vibe, but she over-sang the second half of the song and it got a little sordid for me. I didn't like how her mic went in and out with her holding of it, it undercut the notes to me. I think she could be a better singer if she had just a little more restraint so that she doesn't over-reach for the big long notes. I wish I enjoyed it more, but I didn't.
My initial rankings, but it's a grab-bag for the top 9, but the bottom 3 are pretty set for me at this point:
Enjoyable:
Alaina Whitaker
Ramiele Malubai
Syesha Mercado
Brooke White
Alexandrea Lushington
Kady Malloy
Undecided
Asia'h Epperson
Carly Smithson
Amanda Overmeyer
Disappointing
Joanne Borgella
Kristy Lee Cook
Amy Davis
I think Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella are going home.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
American Idol season 7 - top 24 - top 12 guys roundup
David Hernandez - good start, but it sort of fell apart by the close of the song. Needs more stage performance experiences.
Chikezie - shaky start (enunciation problems to my ears), but good smooth vocals, otherwise, but he did sound a little too throw-back to the 60's.
David Cook - nifty arrangement of a song that's rarely had that sort of treatment, but I think he pulled it off, but his long notes aren't as impressive, and he's a little too cute with the short lines of the song.
Jason Yeager - Definitely lost his train of thought for a second, and did sound a little cheesy, plus the silly grin didn't help, but I blame the song choice on most of his problems, but it doesn't bode well for the future cruise ship singer...
Robby Carrico - I found his vocals a little thin, with not much on reserve, he reminds me more of a backup singer, not quite got enough to sing with to give a rock edge to the song.
David Archuleta - very comfortable on stage, has a distinctive vocal style (easily recognizable), but he sort of sings from the back of his throat, which limits big notes (he seems to have to wind up for a long notes at times), plus the sound of his air intake is louder than other singers (which is a little distracting), but he knows how to play the "gosh shucks" card and the audience will eat it up. That season on Star Search 5 years ago served him well.
Danny Noriega - horrible song choice because he turned in a monotonous vocal performance, but I think he's better suited for broadway, not as a recording artist. His "sassy" attitude won't carry inside a recording studio, either.
Luke Menard - it's weird to hear someone look like that sound like that in terms of having a higher pitched voice, but he sort of faded during the song, but he did get to showcase his falsetto at the end. But Simon's right, it was very forgettable and uninspired. Plus his wardrobe choice was pretty awful.
Colton Berry - Another indistinctive, banal, vocal performance; simply put: his vocals just aren't anything to write home about. Another broadway washout-in-training, I'm afraid. Should have put Kyle through.
Garrett Haley - If he shaved off that peach fuzz of a moustache, I thought you could sneak Garrett on for the Girls night tomorrow, and not many would realize he was a guy singing on Girls night. His lack of stage experience was evident, but he's got a decent voice (much better than Colton's), just really bad performance skills (unlike David Archuleta), which lends itself to being a staid and timid experience for us watching him.
Jason Castro - a very confident performance that gave me that impression that he'd been singing on stage for years, but his voice isn't a recording artist's voice in terms of being instantly recognizable and memorable. I think he'll go well in live performances playing in small venues, but he's got potential, but not quite the gift (vocally).
Michael Johns - Solid performance, and easily in the top 2 for the night. I think he does have a recording artist's voice for the studio, and does have front man experience for a band, so that's not an issue in terms of performance skills.
Overall, the rankings of the guys:
Top 4
David Archuleta
Michael Johns
David Cook
Jason Castro
Middling
Robbie Carrigo
Chikezie
David Hernandez
Jason Yeager
Bottom 4
Danny Noriega
Garrett Haley
Luke Menard
Colton Berry
I think Luke and Colton are going home.
Chikezie - shaky start (enunciation problems to my ears), but good smooth vocals, otherwise, but he did sound a little too throw-back to the 60's.
David Cook - nifty arrangement of a song that's rarely had that sort of treatment, but I think he pulled it off, but his long notes aren't as impressive, and he's a little too cute with the short lines of the song.
Jason Yeager - Definitely lost his train of thought for a second, and did sound a little cheesy, plus the silly grin didn't help, but I blame the song choice on most of his problems, but it doesn't bode well for the future cruise ship singer...
Robby Carrico - I found his vocals a little thin, with not much on reserve, he reminds me more of a backup singer, not quite got enough to sing with to give a rock edge to the song.
David Archuleta - very comfortable on stage, has a distinctive vocal style (easily recognizable), but he sort of sings from the back of his throat, which limits big notes (he seems to have to wind up for a long notes at times), plus the sound of his air intake is louder than other singers (which is a little distracting), but he knows how to play the "gosh shucks" card and the audience will eat it up. That season on Star Search 5 years ago served him well.
Danny Noriega - horrible song choice because he turned in a monotonous vocal performance, but I think he's better suited for broadway, not as a recording artist. His "sassy" attitude won't carry inside a recording studio, either.
Luke Menard - it's weird to hear someone look like that sound like that in terms of having a higher pitched voice, but he sort of faded during the song, but he did get to showcase his falsetto at the end. But Simon's right, it was very forgettable and uninspired. Plus his wardrobe choice was pretty awful.
Colton Berry - Another indistinctive, banal, vocal performance; simply put: his vocals just aren't anything to write home about. Another broadway washout-in-training, I'm afraid. Should have put Kyle through.
Garrett Haley - If he shaved off that peach fuzz of a moustache, I thought you could sneak Garrett on for the Girls night tomorrow, and not many would realize he was a guy singing on Girls night. His lack of stage experience was evident, but he's got a decent voice (much better than Colton's), just really bad performance skills (unlike David Archuleta), which lends itself to being a staid and timid experience for us watching him.
Jason Castro - a very confident performance that gave me that impression that he'd been singing on stage for years, but his voice isn't a recording artist's voice in terms of being instantly recognizable and memorable. I think he'll go well in live performances playing in small venues, but he's got potential, but not quite the gift (vocally).
Michael Johns - Solid performance, and easily in the top 2 for the night. I think he does have a recording artist's voice for the studio, and does have front man experience for a band, so that's not an issue in terms of performance skills.
Overall, the rankings of the guys:
Top 4
David Archuleta
Michael Johns
David Cook
Jason Castro
Middling
Robbie Carrigo
Chikezie
David Hernandez
Jason Yeager
Bottom 4
Danny Noriega
Garrett Haley
Luke Menard
Colton Berry
I think Luke and Colton are going home.
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