LE DOMAINE BLEU

American Idol Recap: The Top 12 Say Whatever, Nevermind
Lazy song choices lead to a night of mediocrity.

Charlie Toft, Mar 17, 2011

The decision to have less restrictive theme weeks on American Idol has its positive aspects, but one big negative is that given the opportunity to play it safe most of the time, the contestants are choosing that option, and in ways that are already getting predictable. Sure, something like "Motown Night" is overdone, but at least a strict theme would prevent Pia Toscano from spinning the Whitney-Mariah-Celine wheel, or Scotty McCreery from picking another deep-voiced country singer to copy.

Wednesday's theme, the oft-used "Songs From the Year You Were Born," gave the final twelve ample chances to stick to what they know best, whether it be country, hair-band music, or especially ballads. Not only did the judges and audience seem bored – a byproduct of this disappointing night is that Jennifer Lopez in particular stepped up her game and gave some pointed critiques – but the singers themselves aren't bringing much energy. It doesn't help that those singers who tiptoed outside the box – Jacob Lusk and especially Casey Abrams – had mixed results at best, meaning that Whitney Houston figures to get more of a workout than ever in coming weeks.

On to the evaluation of the mediocrity:

1. Stefano Langone ("If You Don't Know Me by Now"): I've thought Stefano was being underrated all along, and this might be the week he broke through to make himself a contender (despite a wobble at the end of the song, which Simply Red remade in 1989). He has some of David Archuleta's strengths, but he's more mature and more genuinely soulful. Stefano has the ability to emote without simply raising his voice, and he can do it on pitch to boot. He also helped himself by flashing some sly humor in his intro package, discussing the other hideous options from his birth year (Mill Vanilli, New Kids on the Block, "Funky Cold Medina"). Keep an eye on him. B

2. Pia Toscano ("Where Do Broken Hearts Go"): The best of the women a third straight week, but at some point she's going to have to do something other than stand there and belt a big ballad (and no, the weird arrangement that turned Whitney Houston's song into something that sounded like a disco march halfway through doesn't qualify as "going uptempo"). Pia sounded a bit tentative at first, but she brought the big diva notes at the end, which was all you could ask for. But one has to wonder if she's going to add many more fans singing like she belongs back in the year she was born, 1988. B

3. Scotty McCreery ("Can I Trust You With My Heart"): It's hilarious how little he has to do to get praise for switching things up. It's just a matter of picking a male country singer he hasn't done yet (Travis Tritt) and going up an octave for the first time ever. But while his intended audience would probably have been with him if he just kept on doing that "baby lock them doors" song for three months, improved range and stage presence will really help him with the wider Idol world. Scotty is probably going to make more money coming out of this season than anyone, even if he doesn't win. And his parents are both probably younger than me. B

4. Lauren Alaina ("I'm the Only One"): Speaking of youthful parents, is Lauren's mom even 30? Good grief. The producers gave her an interview segment before she sang, in order than viewers might realize that she's had the flu. But she didn't need too much in the way of pity, though she audibly started running on fumes towards the end. While Lauren's voice doesn't come close to having that "I've really lived this" feel of Melissa Etheridge's, being sick actually gave her a huskier tone that worked here. And she is at least attempting to bring some flair and ambition, which is why I still think she's the only woman who has even an outside chance of winning this season. B

5. James Durbin ("I'll Be There For You"): This was the least successful of James's rock covers of recent weeks, in part because even by Bon Jovi standards it's not much of a song. But there were definite pitch issues that couldn't be overcome by his ability to hit the heights on the power ballad chorus. I would caution James not to get too carried away with sayings things like saving his Aerosmith performance for the finals. He might be serious or just be kidding around, but there's a segment of the audience that takes any hint of getting a big head very seriously. B-

6. Thia Megia ("Colors of the Wind"): Could anything have been less surprising? Can someone please tell Thia that she's in a competition to find a current recording artist, and not trying to become Little Miss Sunshine? This was decent for what it was (though, as Jennifer noted, some vibrato started to creep in towards the end), but even the judges are getting impatient for her to move beyond pageant tunes. Steven Tyler, in what qualifies as criticism for him, asked Thia if this song is what she truly is. Thia's response was indirect, which means that yes, she is in fact a Disney princess. B-

7. Casey Abrams ("Smells Like Teen Spirit"): You read that correctly. Two milestones from this performance: First, Casey became the first contestant of the season to play an instrument onstage, an electric bass (the bass may be a first for Idol alltime). Second, he introduced Nirvana to the Idol stage. NIRVANA! No one really wants to think about Nevermind being 20 years old now, but while Casey deserves points for bravado (he clearly feels he's in good enough shape with the voters to take this song on), his verse missed the distinctive sneer of Kurt Cobain, and the anthemic chorus mostly just proved he could yell. A straight cover of this song was a noble failure – an extremely weird, Casey-like cover might have been the "moment" he was apparently looking for. C+

8. Jacob Lusk ("Alone"): It wasn't as huge a risk as the judges would have us think to choose the Heart power ballad, as it's easily adaptable to Jacob's over-the-top style. The bigger risk is in competing with the many other times this song has been done on Idol, most notably by Carrie Underwood and (especially) Allison Iraheta. Parts of it were fine, and he leaves everything on the stage, but he really has trouble keeping his voice under control when the volume goes up, and with Jacob that's about 95% of the time. He went last and the judges praised him accordingly, but don't pretend we didn't see you flinch at one of his bum notes, Miss J. Lo! C+

9. Naima Adedapo ("What's Love Got to do With It"): Naima is a good performer, but it's looking more doubtful that's she really a good singer (though her tone remains interesting). Producer Rodney Jerkins continued his mostly undistinguished work so far this season by "updating" Tina Turner's classic with a dumb beat, but it was Naima's strangely flat vocals and inability to really convey emotional pain that made this one sink. The flipside of getting the pimp spot last week is that she had to go first Wednesday, and keeping in mind that she was a wild card, this definitely spells trouble for her, and may spell doom. C

10. Haley Reinhart ("I'm Your Baby Tonight"): Giving Haley credit, this isn't an easy song to sing live – lots of opportunities for losing your place. She didn't really try to belt it (fortunately), but seemed to veer between baby talk and a lusty growl, neither of which worked that well. But she is getting better, and I don't see why the judges are so determined to see her pick a genre and stay with it (her placement near the middle of the show two straight weeks suggests Idol doesn't have a huge investment in Haley). Points for touching the mike to her heavily reddened lips, and then proceeding to paint the rest of her face with it. C

11. Karen Rodriguez ("Love Will Lead You Back"): Does she WANT to go home? How does someone who barely survived the first week and who has done little but ballads so far choose such an unmemorable song, and then perform it with a distinct lack of soul and volume? One reason she had for picking Taylor Dayne's number was that she wanted to prove she wasn't just "the Latina singer," but she threw in a couple of verses in Spanish near the end, indicating she has a pretty good idea of what's been keeping her in the competition. Well, maybe not much longer. C-

12. Paul McDonald ("I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues"): What happens when you take someone who sounds raspy even on his best days, and ask him to sing with a cold? You get Paul's version of Elton John's 1984 hit, during which he literally sounded like a dying man. The guy has some character in his voice, but he has to make at least a little effort to stay on pitch. Why he didn't use an instrument this week (which would at least stop him from doing the Drunk Man's Lurch all over that stage) is a mystery. I like the guy, but one must keep it real on these rankings. But: If he stays out of the bottom three after singing second and being terrible at it, that's a sign of real voting strength. D+

As for who's in jeopardy, last week's bottom three survivors Haley and Karen were none too hot this time around, and Naima might join them in another all-woman pileup. Karen will have more trouble standing out to the average viewer, so my pick is that she goes home and resumes her role as the last person on earth using MySpace.

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American Idol Top 12 Season 10: Review
Great talent and a great cause make this collection worth a purchase.

March 17, 2011
by Chad Grischow

One of the more interesting changes for this year's American Idol was the infusion of producer talent into the fold. This year's first full male/female performance show also marked the first time Idol made full studio versions of each contestants' versions of the songs on iTunes the same night. This week, the top twelve follow suit with another iTunes exclusive set of studio versions of their 'birth year' songs, but with a charitable twist; with a portion of the proceeds donated to the American Red Cross for Japan Earthquake and Tsunami relief.

Between the pressure of the big stage and the condensed performances, these well-produced studio versions are probably a better indication of who has a legitimate shot to become a recording star. A few of the contestants come off a tad generic in the studio on this early season effort. The bluesy acoustic rock of Melissa Etheridge's "I'm The Only One" seems right up Lauren Alana's alley on paper, but she comes off sounding even younger than her age in the studio. James Durbin pulls off a nearly pitch-perfect Jon Bon Jovi impersonation with his take on "I'll Be There For You", but, as Steven Tyler touched on in his critique, the song veers too poppy for the intense rocker. There are still moments here that remind you of his vocal gift, but a little more grit would have served him well.

Somehow the powerhouse, dynamic vocals of Jacob Lusk seem to shrink in the studio on his version of "Alone". As cool as the song selection, and as good as his live performance, it is a disappointing studio version for the contestant with the best voice of the bunch. Thia Megia's pick of the bland Vanessa Williams tune "Colors Of The Wind" did her no favors, leaving her excellent vocals sounding lifeless. The biggest offender is Haley Rehnhart, whose wavering, drippy retelling of Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight" leaves you scratching your head over the judges' decision to add her to the top ten.

The remainder of the performances, and the fantastic charitable cause, make this set one worth picking up immediately. Scotty McCreery's cavernous, Nashville-ready baritone comes through amazingly well on his gorgeously twangy version of "Can I Trust You With My Heart". It is enough to earn him a one-way ticket to country radio super-stardom if he ever finds himself voted off. Stefano Langone delivers a great soulful retelling of Simply Red's take on the Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes hit "If You Don't Know Me By Now", sounding as if he is ready to blossom into Bruno Mars. Although it starts a little rough and whispery, bilingual Karen Rodriguez gains confidence and takes off vocally when her version of Taylor Dayne's "Love Will Lead You Back" hits the Spanish verse.

The real stars of this set are the four who did the most with their songs. Paul McDonald tends to get so fired up that his wild swing and shimmy across the stage seems to distract from his raspy vocals. Tie him down in the studio, and his fantastic take on Elton John's "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" makes him a star in waiting. His undeniable stamp is all over this one, full of his warm, happy go lucky vocals that are as unmistakable as they are infectious. McDonald and, fellow facial hair aficionado, Casey Abrams both seem like pros here, giving each of their songs room to breathe and show off the great musicianship rather than singing over every second. Abrams has more balls than just about anyone to ever grace the Idol stage, taking on the iconic Nirvana hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit", and nailing it with his awkward, loveable charm. It feels like sacrilege to say that it works, but the screeching horns and Abrams' intense vocals deliver.

Similar to McDonald's occasionally hampered-by-movement vocals on stage, Naima Adedapo benefits from the confines of the studio. Her Rodney Jerkins produced take on Tina Turner classic "What's Love Got To Do With It" is brilliant, with a dancefloor ready synth pop sound and Adedapo's slithery soul vocals. As fun as her energetic stage performances are, it is great to hear what she is capable of vocally in the studio. Similarly re-imagined, Pia Toscano's fluttery synth fuelled retelling of Whitney Houston's "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" finally gives her something uptempo to sing. The soaring vocals serve as further proof that Toscano has the best voice of the remaining females by a mile.

Regardless of which contender is your favorite is at this point, this is a solid set with a ton of vocal talent. When you figure in that a portion of the proceeds is donated to the American Red Cross for Japan Earthquakea and Tsunami relief, it is an easy decision to pick this one up.


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