American Idol: The Men (03-10-10)
I keep hoping this season will grab my attention, but I’m seriously beginning to wonder if I’ll watch the rest of the season. From Ryan frantically moving things along because there has to be enough time to fit 36 minutes of commercials into an hour to Michael Lynche giving an amazing performance that made me think of Ruben Studdard tackling a song I couldn’t possibly be less interested in hearing, I am seriously underwhelmed. And seriously, Lee – fucking “Firefly”?
I’m gonna stick around for at least the next week or two, but beyond that, I just don’t know. For what it’s worth, here are the men…
1. Lee DeWyze: “Firefly”
For anyone who’s ever longed to hear Nickelback interpret Taylor Swift’s “You Belong To Me”, Lee gives us the grunged up version of a light-hearted techno-pop ballad and for an entire nation defines “overkill”. The man is obsessed with soft ballads, from “Chasing Cars” to “Lips Of An Angel”, but tonight was officially annoying as hell. “Firefly” demands a soft touch to make it work – and in the original version it worked well enough to become a number one hit – but Lee mauls the song, determined to sing the hell out of it. By far the worst – and the most disappointing – performance of the night.
Score: 4 out of 10.
2. Alex Lambert: “Trouble”
I’m really beginning to appreciate Alex’s voice, even if it sometimes borders on nasal, and I thought this was a very nice performance. But at this point in time, I’d really like to hear something more than “nice”.
Score: 7 out of 10.
3. Tim Urban: “Hallelujah”
This was a pedestrian performance of a moving song, a study in mediocrity, and I am astonished by how much the judges loved it. I thought Jason Castro did a far superior job, and when you compare unfavorably to Jason Castro, that’s not a good thing. Wasn’t impressed at all.
Score: 5 out of 10.
4. Andrew Garcia: “Genie In A Bottle”
Normally, I get irritated when people talk about having a guilty pleasure. If you like something, you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. But Andrew’s performance tonight made me understand what the phrase means: I enjoyed it, and I totally feel guilty about it. Yes, it was an excruciatingly desperate move, and it didn’t work nearly as good as “Straight Up” (which, if you listen to the judges, is only a couple weeks away from being enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or something). Yes, it was weird to hear a man asking to be rubbed the right way, since that’s slang for getting a hand job. But his voice sounded great, and I think he’s moving in the right direction after two weeks of bad performances. Good move.
Score: 7 out of 10.
5. Casey James: “You’ll Think Of Me”
After playing “Scottish Lullaby”, a song I truly loved, my piano teacher told me that sometimes it’s far more rewarding to hear a relatively simple song played well than to listen to a difficult song played adequately. Casey took a nice, straightforward song and did a great job both singing and selling it. I liked this performance more than any of the other guys, and I hope he pursues a career in pop country. It’s the one performance I could picture myself listening to on the radio and possibly even purchasing.
Score: 9 out of 10.
6. Aaron Kelly: “I’m Already There”
This would have been a great performance if he hadn’t started off so nervous. Most people can nail the chorus, but it requires a lot of skill to sing the verses (and this is true of most songs – the power of music is in the buildup far more than in the payoff). Still, his voice is a natural for pop music, and this was a good choice.
Score: 7 out of 10.
7. Todrick Hall: “Somebody To Love”
My first reaction after the song was over was to say Todrick sang and leave it at that. He sounded good, even if it was far too theatrical. But I found myself incredibly bored, and realized I could care less about the performance. It sounded less like a song and more like a lackluster demand to pay attention to the singer. This is the reason “whatever” became such a popular catchword.
Score: 5 out of 10.
8. Michael Lynche: “This Woman’s Work”
By far the best vocals of the week, but I could care less about the song, so it didn’t work for me. And by the way, wearing a tie, vest and suit jacket over jeans and sneakers just looks stupid. I think I’m going to have to deal with the fact that Michael is an extremely talented singer who performs songs I don’t even remotely like.
Score: 8 out of 10.
So who’s going home? I’m guessing Todrick and Tim, but it’s really anyone’s guess.
