I will happily admit that rock music is not my favorite genre, so the rundown may sound grumpier than usual. (If I think everyone stinks, I can blame it on their lack of dress rehearsal.) Slash takes on the role of mentor, and for the first time in Idol competition, we get duets from the wannabes.
The rundown:
Adam, "Whole Lotta Love" -- At least tonight his high-pitched shrieking is stylistically appropriate. Sadly, that doesn't make it any less painful, especially when the words are as incomprehensible as they often are here. And for the first time, even Adam's stage presence fails him; he looks uncomfortable tonight, like a little boy playing dress-up in a rocker's clothes.
Allison, "Cry Baby" -- Maybe it's just the song or the style, but this is the least subtle, least interesting performance we've gotten from Allison; she's bludgeoning us with volume. There aren't any serious technical problems -- the pitch is fine, the phrasing makes sense -- but it never crosses the line from competent to interesting.
Kris & Danny, "Renegade" -- It's not really a duet so much as two soloists sharing a stage; they don't even look at each other for most of the song. Kris comes off better as a rock singer than I'd expected him to, and Danny's R&B sound is less suited to the style than I'd have guessed. But their voices blend very well, and they've made enough attempt at ensemble that they're even breathing together in the same odd place ("...long [breathe] arm of the law...").
Kris, "Come Together" -- This song ought to feel a little bit sleazy, and while Kris certainly goes farther in that direction than I thought he could, it is sort of like watching the Hardy Boys make a porn flick. It's not a disastrously awful performance -- I liked the middle section, where he drops into his lower register -- but it's a very bad song choice. Then again, in all fairness, this was never going to be his best night, and I don't know what would have been a better choice.
Danny, "Dream On" -- Excuse me while I lift my jaw from the floor. The opening verse wasn't half bad, but the louder and higher-pitched it got, the worse it became. Danny's pitch went completely to hell and back -- I don't think a single instance of the words "dream on" was in tune, and that made up about half of the song -- and those last few seconds of rocker screaming were horrific. By far the worst performance of the night, maybe the worst of the season (and I haven't forgotten Megan's "Rockin' Robin").
Allison & Adam, "Slow Ride" -- Individually, they're both better than they were in their solo numbers. He looks more comfortable, and (much to my surprise) manages to scale his performance down to a more natural level, allowing the two to blend nicely. She's singing instead of shouting, and unlike the Kris/Danny pairing, these two actually seem to be aware of one another's presence. The song is duller than dirt, but the performance is the best one we've heard tonight.
For the night: Allison, Adam, Kris, Danny.
For the season: Allison, Kris, Danny, Adam.
Deserving the trip home: I continue to dream of the Adam-goes-home miracle, but I certainly don't expect it. Overall, Danny is the most deserving of the exit, but I wouldn't feel safe if I were Kris.
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