It was movie night on American Idol. As I looked at the four contestants standing side by side at the start of the show, I realized that it's almost worse now that we have narrowed it down to the best four, than earlier when the other crap was making them look good. Now it's obvious just how much these four pale in comparison to top contestants from previous seasons.Contestant: Lee DeWyze
Lee's solo tonight was "Kiss From A Rose," a number one single by Seal back in 1994. It's a very, very difficult song to sing...the melody is all over the place & it ranges from very soft to very loud. With that in mind, I think Lee put forth a great effort. The fact that he wasn't off-key all that much is a tribute to his precision as an artist. Still, there were quite a few bum notes, especially towards the beginning. Lee still held on to his new found stage presence (which is really just him being relaxed and looking like he's enjoying what he's doing), but overall it was a boring, somewhat sub-par imitation of Seal's amazing original vocal.
But Let's Be Real: Tonight proved that Lee should never do a well-known, vocally difficult song if he's not going to completely change it. His artistry lies in his vocal quality - he has a very specific tone that is going to sound great on the radio. But it's also very static...it doesn't change much. He runs into trouble when he uses that voice to try and imitate a very dynamic vocalist like Seal.
What It Is: B-
Contestant: Mike Lynche
Mike's solo was "Will You Be There," by Michael Jackson, which premiered in the first Free Willy in 1993. This is a song very deeply rooted in emotion. It's a very specific type of gospel - more upbeat & bubbling than traditional. A masterful work, written & recorded by one of the greatest entertainers of all time. At the start, I really thought Mike was going to nail it...sort of capture the soul-wrenching feeling the recording exudes for himself. But by the time he got to the pre-chorus, I realized that there just wasn't anything there. He brought out that hokey theatrical thing he had a few weeks ago. Instead of getting down and dirty in the meaning of the words & the huge upward push of the melody at that part ("Everyone's taking control of me // Seems that the world's got a role for me"), he seemed so uneffected, putting on this lame mask of faux emotion. The arrangement wasn't the best, either...the key changes were not in the right places & the wrong parts of the song were selected (it is normally over 5 minutes long). Little things like that prevent the audience from caring one way or another by the finish.
But Let's Be Real: I saw tonight what everybody else has been seeing the whole time - Mike is arrogant, & he either doesn't want to or just can't make himself mean something to the audience. It is a shame, truly...as I have mentioned before, he absolutely is the most technically talented contestant.
What It Is: C+
Contestants: Lee DeWyze & Crystal Bowersox
"Falling Slowly" was the duet Lee & Crystal chose. They sang the song facing each other, each with their own guitar. This truly was a terrific performance...it brought out the legit marketability of each contestant (which, I'm sure, the record labels were relieved to see). The entire song was sung in harmony, with Lee on the bottom line. It was similar to songs like "Two is Better Than One" by Taylor Swift/Boys Like Girls, and "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum. It had a totally genuine feel to it...there was no room for question. Overall, a great boost for the both of their campaigns - I think it more than covered for Lee's bland solo performance.
Contestant: Casey James
Casey sang..."Mrs. Robinson" ? Right. So yeah, this has got to be the worst season of American Idol yet. What kind of contestant chooses a song like this at this stage? Whoooooo caaarrreees about Casey singing the same 4 notes over and over and over again? There was absolutely nothing worth anything in this performance. Maybe, MAYBE, if this were the top twelve or eleven, it would have been ok for Casey to just come out and show off the few redeeming features of his Nickelback-esque tone. But this is the top four, and he did nothing to prove that he should have even made it this far.
But Let's Be Real: It's probably still going to be Mike who goes home tomorrow night, but for me (and I'm assuming for more and more viewers), this was pointless and Casey doesn't look like he's improved at all this season.
What It Is: C-
Contestant: Crystal Bowersox
Crystal sang "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack. Kind of from Caddyshack. It was classic Crystal, complete with the twangy rock vibe that has kept her atop the competition every week thus far. I noticed that Crystal has developed an edge to her voice - an appropriate edge for a unique artist like her who is trying to find her place in the mainstream industry.
But Let's Be Real: I suppose it was typical Crystal - as in nothing groundbreaking - but fortunately, typical Crystal is not too shabby.
What It Is: A-
Contestants: Mike Lynche & Casey James
The two soloist failures of the night sang "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman." A classic, universal ballad like this is a great choice for any American Idol contestant. It's an even better choice for a duo of guys to sing, mostly because of the sharp harmonies throughout. Although there were a few pitch issues, I think the song brought out the best in each contestant's voice - particularly Casey. Casey had some great soaring harmonies that made his rendition of "Mrs. Robinson" seem even more foolish than it already had seemed. Mike's smooth & sultry tone came through in a way that it couldn't earlier in evening.
My Breakdown:
Crystal Bowersox A-
Lee DeWyze B-
Mike Lynche C+
Casey James C-
So What?
Unless we are in for the "Top 4 Shocker" that we've faced on multiple occasions in the past (Tamyra Gray, season one; Latoya London, season three; Chris Daughtry, season five), Mike or Casey will go home. More likely than not, Mike.
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