American IdolCountry Week
Original Air Date: Mar 17, 2009
Patricia Morris Buckley — Associate Staff Writer
pmb@thetwocentscorp.com
I guess that country music is the great equalizer. Last night, the singers we expect to do well did well—but not great. And the singers we expected to be road kill on the way to the Kodak Theater stepped up their game. Stepped it up considerably.
As a result, no one really stood out as extraordinary.
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[photo: FOX]
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I guess that country music is the great equalizer. Last night, the singers we expect to do well did well—but not great. And the singers we expected to be road kill on the way to the Kodak Theater stepped up their game. Stepped it up considerably.
ReplyDeleteAs a result, no one really stood out as extraordinary.
The show started off introducing mentor Randy Travis in a clever way — a clip of giving AI alum Carrie Underwood membership to the Grand Ole Opry. Carrie will be singing on this week’s results show. Then the singers tackled country. Gulp.
MICHAEL SARVER: Ain't Goin' Down Till the Sun Comes Up
If anyone had an edge going into country week, it’s Michael. And he tried his best to step up his game with this machine gun of a song. While he sounded good, his stage presence felt flat, perhaps because he was struggling to remember all the words after Randy Travis warned him that could be his biggest problem. Randy thinks it’s a cool song choice and showed his fun side. Kara says it shows his personality but not the “big notes.” Paula thinks it suited him well while Simon thinks country music suits him well, but he could have been singing in Norwegian for all the words he could understand.
ALLISON IRAHETA: Blame It On Your Heart
Randy Travis says she has great pipes and she sure proves it. I thought she couldn’t do country but she gave it her own rocker twist. Kara thinks she can sing the alphabet and Paula says it’s another rock solid performance. Simon thinks it’s tuneless at points, but good. Randy says it’s “the dope.”
KRIS ALLEN: To Make You Feel My Love
What a simple, strong ballad delivered close to perfect — no guitar, either.
Paula thinks it’s pure and vulnerable, but he should watch the low notes. Simon says it’s terrific, a great choice of song and thinks Kris has a real shot in this competition. Randy calls him “tender dog” and Kara thinks it’s beautiful.
LIL ROUNDS: Independence Day
Her phrasing is too loose and her vocals a bit wobbly. Not impressive.
Randy says she struggled and it didn’t feel comfortable. Kara thinks she didn’t connect with it and Paula says the vocals were spot on. Simon says she sounded like a wedding singer and kept calling her “Little.”
ADAM LAMBERT: Ring of Fire
Adam is honest from the get-go that he’s no country singer and chooses a sitar-infused version of this Johnny Cash song. He’s more controlled and less screechy than before, but it still isn’t my cup of tea although he does have an amazing voice.
Kara thinks it’s strange but she “kinda liked it.” Paula says he’s true to who he is and he’s raising the bar for himself every week. Simon thinks people in Nashville were throwing their TVs out the window and it was indulgent rubbish. Randy thinks it was like Nine Inch Nails singing a country song.
SCOTT MACINTYRE: Wild Angels
The song is right in his range and showed off the quality of his voice, which Id never noticed before. But bad falsetto.
Paula thinks it’s an impressive performance, but we need to see him without the piano. Simon tells Paula “that’s a stupid thing to say,” but his performance last week and this week are too similar. Randy likes his hot vocals and Kara wants him to step up his game.
ALEXIS GRACE: Jolene
It’s a nice performance, much better than Brooke White’s last year. A little safe.
Randy says she had pitch problems and Kara thinks she’s lost her edge. Paula says it shows her dark side and Simon thinks it’s just OK and a little sound-alike.
DANNY GOKEY: Jesus Take the Wheel
The white jacket makes him look like an asylum inmate and he does a good job, but not his usual great.
Kara says it took him halfway through to hit his stride and Paula liked how he built a story. Simon says his only problem is the jacket, which looks like he’s setting out on a polar expedition. Randy thinks he should support the verses more, but he’s a great singer.
ANOOP DESAI: You Were Always On My Mind
A straight-forward, note-perfect song delivered with heart — Anoop is back!
Randy thinks people will now rethink his abilities as a singer and Paula is proud of his tender vocals. Simon says “You just managed to go from zero to hero” and it’s one of his favorite performances of the night. Randy thinks this is why they invited him back. Kara says it was the best performance of the night.
MEGAN JOY: Walking After Midnight
This is such a Patsy Cline song but Megan’s quirky voice does something fun to it. She still struggles with pitch issues. It’s mentioned that Megan has been in the hospital for flu (cough, cough). So the judges give her softball pitches.
Randy is quite impressed and Kara says it’s the perfect song choice and look for her. Paula says she fantastic for not having had a run through and Simon says she should have flu every week.
MATT GIREAUD: So Small
I’m not a fan, but I can’t deny his vocals are killer. But I still don’t like his stylings.
Kara says there’s nothing small about him and he’s a true talent. Paula thinks he’s unparalleled and Simon says he has heart and it’s a great performance that reminds him of Michael Buble. Randy says this is his favorite performance of the night.
The pressure of this week is intense, as only 10 of the 11 contestants will get to go on the AI Summer Tour. One person will miss that opportunity by a nose. Who do you think it will be? Did someone impress you that hadn’t before? Who are you voting for?