Also, the sing off for the tour? Yippee! I totally didn't even bother to watch the performances, because the whole concept is silly. But good for Aubrey, I guess.
I know I bemoan tired themes... but Idol ALWAYS needs a Beatles week (or Lennon/McCartney week... whichever this actually is). I do, however, reserve the right to bitch about obvious/uninspired song choices in the theme. So, there.
The Top 9: The Songs of John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Kree Harrison "A Little Help from My Friends"
Dead. Not my favorite Beatles track, but Kree killed it. As usual. I would have really enjoyed her doing something like "Oh! Darling", but then again, I'll listen to her do anything. Turn down the backup vocalists, Idol!
Burnell Taylor "Let It Be"
You know someone would do this song. Let's just be glad it wasn't Curtis, because he obviously would have. But honestly, there was a lot to love about this performance by Burnell. For the most part, he trusted what just may be the greatest melody ever written, which I absolutely appreciate. And riffs he did add worked just right. Well done.
Amber Holcomb "She's Leaving Home"
Bravo to Amber for not choosing one of the big hits that everyone and their mother knows.... I fully acknowledge that I have never heard this song before. Though that said, I'm not sure going off the beaten path helped her too much. Amber seemed tentative at points, and her pitch struggled a little bit because of it. I do love the sparkle in Amber's voice when she really nails the notes, which is quite often.
Lazaro Arbos "In My Life"
Ho boy. Mess and a half. There isn't much working for poor Lazaro here. He's completely out of his element in this competition.
Candice Glover "Come Together"
Dead. Absolutely dead. Absolutely perfect in every way.
Paul Jolley "Eleanor Rigby"
Paul would do the most theatrical of all the major Beatles songs. Probably not the best song choice, but I found it mostly enjoyable anyway. I really wish he found a song he could really connect with, as opposed to a song he could perform... you know?
Angie Miller "Yesterday"
Fact: I did not know Angie was from Beverly, MA. Good stuff. It's fitting that Angie "revealed" during her pre-performance interview that she was a theater kid in high school, because this song was her most dramatic so far. She said she needed to go simple... but I don't think she succeeded. Great vocals, but I'm not so sure I totally dug it. And why wasn't she on piano for this song? Also, I loved Randy's comparison's to Haley from Paramore and "old girl" from Evanescence.
Devin Velez "The Long and Winding Road"
This would be Devin's song choice. Devin is a great vocalist, but that's about it. Boring, predictable performance... you knew exactly what it was going to be like from the get go. He's not exciting.
Janelle Arthur "I Will"
Now this is the exact opposite of Amber's song. Janelle took a largely unknown song and turned it into a star performance. Sure, there were a few shaky notes here and there, but it doesn't even matter. Perfection, a great way to end this show. Well done!
Wrap Up
Overall, I'd call this a pretty strong night. There was only one complete dud, which is a pretty good percentage from this crop of contestants! And I was actually pleasantly surprised with the song selections this week... some questionable choices, and all the usuals were present, but overall, big upgrade from last week.
Timm's Votes
Candice - 18
Kree - 18
Janelle - 8
Paul - 3
Angie - 3
I'm sad that I limited myself to 50 votes... not sad enough to up the limit and work the phones, but still. Candice and Kree are in a completely different competition from the rest of this year's finalists, which is reflected in my vote totals. Actually, can we eliminate the other 7 contestants of this show, and just make the remaining 8 weeks* of the show a sing off between Candice and Kree? We can leave Janelle, Angie and Paul for flavor, but it really continues to look like a two horse race.
Lazaro really should be gone this week, but given that he was in 4th place last week, it looks like his story has been effective. Because of that, I'd put Amber and probably Paul on alert (sadly)
*Not a mis-count. There are 8 weeks left. Good thing that save is in play... meaning Kree & Candice are safe!
