I hate it because it has ceased to surprise me as often as it once did. Since the revolution of season seven that saw artistry take over from the ability to sing a high F ( bonus points if you have both), I have noticed a different kind of typical song choice. ” Hallelujah”. Quirky pop classics “transformed” into “rock” songs. “Hallelujah”. Lame country songs sung in a bid to be seen as rootsy and all-American. Mother-frickin’ “Hallelujah”.
Seriously, I know Jeff Buckley’s arrangement of the Leonard Cohen classic is brilliant ( not as brilliant as John Cale’s, but I digress). STOP SINGING IT!
The show got off to a bad start with Kara and Simon acting like idiots again. I do not want to talk about Simon’s reported engagement or anything else when we have a tightly packed show.
Lee DeWyze starts us off with “Fireflies” by Owl City. I have a real problem with this song, namely that dude’s nasally, whiny voice. Lee has a gruffer, grittier tone, but stripped it all away to sing a pleasant, if not all that thrilling song.
Alex Lambert deigned to take on a song by a personal favorite singer of mine, Ray LaMontaigne. “Trouble” seems to be the go to bluesy rock folk alt country song for shows like these, and Alex’s nasal voice ( seriously, I wanted to tell him to fix his adenoids) was well suited for the song. he’s also beginning to conquer his nerves a bit, even if the judges are right in commenting on his current stiff performing style. It’s better than the fetal position on the floor sobbing, right?
Tim Urban was the idiot who decided to tackle “Hallelujah”, a song on the verge of losing its awesome status because everyone now thinks it’s genius. His vocal was bland, forgettable, and frankly, I don’t care if he didn’t fall off the tracks this week, it was robotic. I don’t know what the judges were on this week, that was bad.
Andrew Garcia takes desperate to a new level with a stripped down version of ” Genie In A Bottle” , that dreadful Christina Aguilera song that I never wanted to hear ever again. It wasn’t so awful wanted to hurt someone, but it wasn’t good. If only the judges didn’t keep harping on that Hollywood week Paula Abdul cover all the time to remind us Andrew has become stagnant.
Pretty boy Casey sand Keith Urban’s “You’ll Think Of Me”. I actually really like this song, I like Keith Urban. And Casey did a credible vocal on that song. He still needs to work on his technique ( he still seems to be struggling with supporting his notes). But on a night like this, I’ll take middling and competent.
Aaron has to go with ” I’m A;ready There”, one of those treacly country ballads sung about living life on the road. It was terrible. I didn’t hear a single on key note, his phrasing was off, and this terrible song was too big for him. The over praise form the judges makes me believe that they think Katie Stevens may be going home, so they need a new cute teen to pimp.
The bane of my Idol season nine, Todrick ” I’m the best thing since Michael Jackson-WHOO!” Hall, did the impossible. He made me hate a Queen song.
That shreiky, screamy, shouty vocal that started of way too high and then bizarrely strayed to his mid tone, where he proceeded to run rough shod over the intricate vocal melody Freddie Mercury created- that was a crime against music. And the so-called music experts on the panel LIKED it.
For that and that alone, I have fired all four judges.
Fortunately, Michael Lynche saved my night with a simply gorgeous take of Maxwell’s “This Woman’s Work”. I only wrote down in my notes the following:
“Nearly perfect”.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is what I am talking about. Take a song and SING IT.
I really think that poor Aaron and Andrew are in trouble, because Tim is gorgeous and therefore no one will send him home till next week, and Todrick, being my new mortal Idol enemy, will never leave ( Gokey, after all, made top three).
Till tonight, then, I have to just keep saying over and over ” My top four are Crystal, Siobhan, Lilly, and Mike”.
Repeat along with me, dear reader. You know I’m right.
