It was Lennon-McCartney night on American Idol – this night has historically given a great boost to certain contestants’ development as personable artists. The Beatles' music is so able to be shaped into whatever style the contestant wants to portray it with. Many of the songs are so well known that you can really benefit by making an old, familiar tune something completely different. I’m actually not a huge fan of The Beatles (go ahead, shoot me), because I don’t like John Lennon or Paul McCartney’s voices. BUT, some of their songs truly are great.
Contestant: Aaron Kelly
After the producers reminded America of how young he is via an extended clip of the other contestants talking about him, Aaron sang “The Long and Winding Road.” I liked this song better than his usual selections, but the problem with Aaron’s version of this song was his uneven vibrato (not that it's new). I was actually thinking about what it might sound like if Justin Timberlake were to sing the tune…can you hear it? Well, if you can’t, I’ll tell you that if he were to sing it, it would be mostly in falsetto, with great appeal to the “pretty” part of his voice. The song doesn’t really move much in any direction, but it can rise and fall if the singer chooses to facilitate it. Aaron didn’t really.
But Let’s Be Real: Aaron’s age is continuing to work to his advantage. They always like the young folks on the show, and no matter what he’s never going to be judged on an exactly even playing field as somebody older, like Lee DeWyze. But to someone like me, nothing special is nothing special.
What It Is: C+
Contestant: Katie Stevens
I think it was good to see Katie’s “insight video” before she sang. In general, I feel like she comes off as ingenuine and annoying when she’s on the show, but she seemed like a cool chick on her vid. Sweet.
“Let It Be” seemed like a typical stupid choice from Katie – I almost felt like she was stealing it from somebody who really should be singing it, like Crystal or Lee. But as it turns out, she actually did a great job with it. Her very controlled & heart-felt interpretation of the song was my favorite performance from her. There were no frills, there were no attempts at notes or runs she can't pull off, and nothing about it was corny.
But Let’s Be Real: I actually think Katie has done a little better so far than I thought she would – I didn’t really think she should have made the top 12. But American likes her better than I do, and if I liked it, Katie is definitely safe tonight & took a huge step towards establishing herself as a true artist.
What It Is: B+
Contestant: Andrew Garcia
I do not like his voice. And I guess it took him doing a song that was actually performed by a man for me to realize this. The arrangement of "Can't Buy Me Love" was actually really cool, but his voice is so annoying. He's no fun to watch (because of course he won't move or put the guitar down), and in general it leaves you feeling just about nothing, besides a tad bit displeased.
But Let's Be Real: I don't know what people think about Andrew. They obviously like him more than I do, since he was not in the bottom three last week, but he definitely didn't offer anything new this week. It's funny that the contestant who loves to do the odd stuff (like "Genie in a Bottle") comes off as boring & static.
What It Is: C+
Contestant: Michael Lynche
Mike laid down a SWEET rendition of "Eleanor Rigby." The song is already an amazing work that won't anything else you put on your iPod. But the soulful groove Mike put on it was so smooth & powerful. The strings perfectly complimented the arrangement, instead of making it corny like the strings and brass do with a lot of these contestants. And like I always say, Mike has a technically flawless voice that allows him to do anything without making you feel at edge & wondering if he is perfectly on pitch or not. I thought it was amazing & I think we could see him do it in the finale if he makes it there.
But Let's Be Real: I know that people love Mike...and that mixed with the fact that he is by far the most naturally talented singer in the competition puts him right at the top...the fact that Mike continues to be an underdog (under Crystal, Lee and maybe even Siobhan) will only work to his advantage these next few weeks.
What It Is: A+
Contestant: Crystal Bowersox
Crystal did "Come Together," one of my favorite Beatles songs. Crystal was the contestant that I thought would benefit from Lennon-McCartney night the most - just because the songs are designed to be acoustic, which is Crystal's thing. It was not drastically different from the original (maybe because the original is so funky as it is), but she changed it up as much as she could without changing the actual structure. Her vocals at the end of the song were pretty darn good - higher than she usually sings for sure. She used it to enhance her style, instead of just throwing notes out for the sake of range.
But Let's Be Real: She has probably done better, but it was a good performance that came off well. My only issue with Crystal is the fact that she always plays guitar & she's not necessarily the greatest singer in the group...there are 6 weeks between now and the finale, and she's going to have to come up with some real surprising stuff in order to hold off the two other powerhouses (Mike & Lee)
What It Is: A
Contestant: Tim Urban
Tim's voice was perfect for "All My Loving." It sounded so effortless & very smooth. The crooning has always been there, but this week it wasn't accompanied by the creepy faces or the annoying vocal flaws. He looked great, too.
But Let's Be Real: People aren't voting for Tim as much as you think they would for somebody as cute as he is. (He's cute, ok?) Maybe it was that he looked so weird & unappealing with the creeper faces the past few weeks. I think this performance did great things for him & will pull him out of the bottom two this week.
What It Is: B
Contestant: Casey James
Casey's nasty nasal waver was back this week - it wasn't there the past few weeks. He sounded like Shinedown, Buckcherry, Nickelback, and all other the usual annoying groups, combined into one on his version of "Jealous Guy." Yeah, it was sentimental and precious, and I loved the guitar and I really loved the song itself, but his voice just hurt my ears. I don't want to hear that on the radio. He needs to go back to the powerful, unwavering, pleasant but fierce-sounding tone he had the past two weeks.
But Let's Be Real: People liked him before he sounded good, including the judges. And the judges really loved him tonight...Simon even called it the "best performance of the evening," so I guess everyone is going to vote for him. But I strongly disagree. I did not like it and I still don't think he's attractive. So there.
What It Is: B-
Contestant: Siobhan Magnus
Siobhan sang "Across The Universe" and started out a bit too breathy for comfort. But as the song progressed, Siobhan's tender presentation reminded me of Adam Lambert's "Mad World" last year. No, it wasn't nearly as amazing. And yes, there were technical issues as there always are with Siobhan. But it was a brand new side of her voice that produced a beautiful, lullaby-like caress. The lighting & her outfit were perfect...created a very classy environment. Her words to Simon at the end were very heartfelt & genuine too - "nothing's gonna change my world" really means something to Siobhan.
But Let's Be Real: Siobhan took a risk by not sticking to her guns (or what we thought her guns were - shrieking), and I thought it really paid off. I think people will connect with Siobhan after this performance. More than the judges think anyhow.
What It Is: A-
Contestant: Lee DeWyze
Sidenote: Crystal Bowersox describing Lee DeWyze & Andrew Garcia's potential children as "little Danny Gokey's" probably earned her a few thousand extra votes tonight.
"Hey Jude." I mean, definitely the obvious choice for Lee. It matches him well, but I think he was a bit too growly with the song...the live audience didn't really seem to get it either...it didn't do much for anybody. He wasn't off-key or anything, and I was able to ignore the bag-pipe dude that just showed came on at the end, but the only special part of the song for me was the few crisp high notes he jumped to.
But Let's Be Real: Kara reminded us of a good point - Lee has a very commercial voice that will be on the radio. He's good...this song just didn't move him much in either direction.
What It Is: B
The Breakdown:
Michael Lynche A+
Crystal Bowersox A
Siobhan Magnus A-
Katie Stevens B+
Tim Urban B
Lee DeWyze B
Casey James B-
Aaron Kelly C+
Andrew Garcia C+
So what?
This will be a difficult week...the two contestants left over from the bottom two last week both had much better performances this week - Tim & Katie. All things considered, my guess is that Tim, Aaron & Andrew will be in the bottom three, with Andrew getting the boot.
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