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So we're halfway through the finals, and last night I took stock: What did I think of this half dozen? The truth is I can take half of them, and leave the other half. And I'm not sure that's the best ratio there has ever been for an American Idol Final Six. I'm interested in what you all think: Do you find this crew as hit or miss as I do? Love 'em all? Loathe 'em all? Let's take stock.
Perhaps I'm in this philosophical mood because I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of Shania Twain's work (not being a big country-pop crossover genre fan) and unpleasantly surprised at both how the contestants fared -- and how the judges' opinions diverged from mine.
So, let's dig in:
1. Lee sang "Still the One"
I actually really like this song. It's sweet and tuneful. Lee has a tendency to get rough and tuneless. You can see where this is going, can't you? After two weeks in which he seemed to conquer both his nerves and his pretty serious pitch problems, Lee is back to singing melody changes and just individual notes that give me trouble figuring out what he's going for exactly. The entire first verse was wretched. The chorus kicked in, and I thought he was going to pull it out, but while his off-key-ness improved a bit, his rough screaminess took its place. Lee had taken two big steps forward with me the past two weeks ... and he erased those gains by letting this song sack him way behind the line of scrimmage. yet the judges continue to ignore his total lack of ability to consistently sing on key. I don't get it.
Bottom line: Should he stay or should he go? I don't care. Let him go. But will America finally agree with me? Maybe this is the week.
2. Michael sang "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing"
Another pretty song, this time heart-wrenching and tuneful. And Michael made this a believable R&B ballad. He's a little physically stiff, but his vocal flexibility compensates. He really has a truly nice voice, including his falsetto. I get what Simon said about it being more a show of emotion than a real foundation of honest emotion driving what showed. But compared to the other folks, he's definitely in the half I care to see again.
Bottom line: America abandoned him once, but has saved him since then. I think this performance will sustain him.
Casey James. Image courtesy Fox
3. Casey sang "Don't"
Wasn't familiar with this song, but it was a great one for Casey. Might very well have been his best vocal yet ... more range, more dynamics, showing off that he can hit a few fine falsetto notes himself. Less focus on showing he's a hot guitar player. And while I still might favor "Mr. Jealousy" as his best performance overall, this was another heartfelt and vulnerable effort.
Bottom line: Hopefully his fall to last week's Bottom Three woke up his fans. He may not be fully cooked yet as an artist, but he is surely in the half I care to see again.
Crystal Bowersox. Image courtesy Fox
4. Crystal sang "No One Needs to Know"
I know this was supposed to be a cute and upbeat country song, but Crystal could definitely have given it a bit more oomph than she did. It felt like a laid-back rehearsal for sound check, not like the final fight-for-your-life competition night. LIked her twang, liked her falsetto. Just woudl have liked a bit more force, volume, expression.
Bottom line: But let's be clear: Still a front-runner and in the half I care about. I just wonder if the audience is going to give her a Casey-like Bottom Three scare?
5. Aaron sang "You Got a Way"
Here's what I wrote in my notebook:
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Bottom line: OMG, I don't get it. I have no interest in seeing any more strained, maudlin, morose performances from this prematurely mature teenager. That was his "wheelhouse"? Not in my book.
6. Siobhan sang "Any Man of Mine"
Great song. Where's the spunk? Where's the sass to match the song and the supposedly edgy outfits? Since when did pacing back and forth qualify as hot performance skillz? Since when did being behind the beat and below the pitch qualify as a hot vocal? Yes, yes. She had some hot (and long-sustained) notes at the end. Very Diana DeGarmo-like. (Not the screaming part, but after that.) But the whole first three quarters was a mess. And how can no
