Two songs each for the Idols tonight, so it's a good thing that our guest mentor has such a large catalogue to choose from. Unfortunately, there's not a single memorable performance in the bunch, and there are a few flat-out disasters, making for the most mediocre night of the season thus far.
The rundown:
Jason: "Forever in Blue Jeans" / "September Morn" -- I do like the sound of his lower register at the beginning of the first song. But with every week, the limitations of his thin, whiny voice become more apparent, and it's more obvious that his appeal is based in his charm and in the joy he takes from performing. Remove those things, and you wind up with his version of "September Morn" (or "September Moan," as he pronounces it), which is perhaps the most listless, apathetic performance in Idol history.
David C: "I'm Alive" / "All I Really Need Is You" -- These are the least distinctive, most generic performances David has given. They're both reasonably well sung and pleasant enough to listen to, aside from his terribly sloppy enunciation -- at least a third of the words are utterly incomprehensible -- but neither is particularly interesting or even remotely memorable.
Brooke, "I'm a Believer" / "I Am I Said" -- Brooke has the biggest gap in quality between performances this evening. "I'm a Believer" is disastrous; even with her adjustments to the melody, it's pitched too low for her, and her earnest sincerity doesn't work well with cheerful up-tempo material. It's a performance that you could hear on open mike night at any coffee house. "I Am I Said" is better; at least it's in the right register for her, and she's connecting a bit better to the emotion of the song (though even in that department, she's not doing as well as she was in the early weeks). And even if it was Diamond's idea, replacing "New York" with "Arizona" doesn't fit rhythmically or lyrically, as it makes nonsense of the "between two shores" line.
David A, "Sweet Caroline" / "America" -- "Sweet Caroline" doesn't find David in good form; his voice seems unusually thick, heavy, and sluggish. Maybe it's just that he's trying so hard to sound mature enough for the song; his efforts, alas, are in vain, and we're left with a boy struggling to sing a man's song. "America" goes a bit better, aside from one nasty pubescent break in the voice, but Li'l Archie is beginning to bore me.
Syesha, "Hello Again" / "Thank the Lord for the Night Time" -- Her success last week has certainly boosted Syesha's confidence; she's in charge of the stage in a way she hadn't been before, and she's projecting far more personality than we normally get from her. But there's something undefined, not quite focused about that energy. These songs call for different emotional energy -- a sort of awestruck joy at having found love in "Hello Again," a naughty playfulness in "Night Time" -- and what we get from Syesha in both is the same "Hi! I'm Syesha! I'm really happy to be here!" enthusiasm. Still, she's the best of the lot on a weak night.
For the night: Syesha, David C, David A, Brooke, Jason.
For the season: Syesha, David C, David A, Jason, Brooke.
Deserving to go home: Should be Brooke, but the fact that she had one marginally decent performance will save her, and we'll say farewell (without much regret) to Jason, who didn't even have that.
No comments:
Post a Comment