Last AGAIN! Mitch. Outlasted too many better singers and his sound? well, it’s still helium.

Theo, definitely TCO, got the most well known AM song and didn’t do as well as many other covers (as said previously up above) Changes the tunes and phrasing too much…again too self-indulgent for my liking. Second song, I am not crazy for the vocal gymnastics, but it was an *intelligent performance* starting at the piano and then standing up and getting on the piano and of course, the JD Fortune jump at the end (that’s if you can compare the raw sex of JD with the overcooked non-sexy Theo.) Maybe all the hype has turned me off, but I just would rather he not win, but he probably will.

My other favorite, Earl, wasn’t as good as last week, IMO, but I will still hope for his safety on his accumulated performances. Earl has built up a lot of fans, rightfully so because of his unusual style and really good voice. The AM song possibly didn’t suit him??? and while I thought Joker would be perfect for him, it wasn’t quite Earl as one of the judges said. Maybe, the judges prior advice confused him when they advised him not to meander on the stage??? Earl loves to wander and let the rhythm take him where it wants and it’s always worked. I definitely think he *wants* to be here and YES, WIN, but he seemed a bit confused and I can only think he is trying to give the judges what they want. NO, Earl, just give them Earl. That’s what got you this far. Don’t stop!!!!

Drew’s first song was decent but he forgot all about the good advice from Anne Murray on Gravity. His vocals were back to subpar on that song while he concentrated on guitar licks.

My theory about Earl is that he’s just not enjoying playing other people’s music, and its showing. It’s really not his thing. The guy is pretty new to music, coming to it only after injuries prevented him from getting any further in professional snowboarding, and what draws him in is the chance for self-expression through songwriting. So the aspect of the music scene that brings him the most joy is absent here. Of course, that’s the nature of CI, and he must have known that coming in. My guess is that he thought the exposure was worth it. I read a recent interview where he says he’s constantly trying to get the producers to allow him to do his own material. But he could have changed up the songs arrangements more to better infuse them with the Earl vibe. Instead they just felt kind of heavy and lifeless to me.

And Mitch. Probably a nice enough guy but I do not enjoy his performances. I’m now fast forwarding through them. I hope Canada finally lets the guy loose.

I just got home and I’m pooped, so I’ll watch the show tomorrow, but the mixed reviews about Earl kinda worry me, especially since Mitch seems invincible as far as the voting is concerned…Earl needs to make it to the finale!!!

ETA: link to Mookie’s guitar song…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFTZdsJnKT4

After last week Earl became my second fav so I’m rooting for him now. Earl is just Earl and that’s who he is.

I actually enjoyed Drew the most tonight. I though that first song he did, which I’d never heard before, was terrific. The Mayer song didn’t seem as strong, but I did enjoy it and I do think he has a really good voice. i also prefer his genre to Theo’s, who I’ve loved all season, even though I must admit I’m not positive I’d buy anything he records. It’s really going to depend on the genre. Neither song tonight did a whole lot for me. I loved when he did “Collide” and “Weak in the Knees,” but I just wasn’t feeling these two songs tonight. And I wish he would heed the advice he’s been given twice now (by Anne Murray and Gavin Rossdale): Lose the melisma! It just disconnects him from the lyrics.

I get why people love Earl, and I do like a lot of his singing, but I just can’t find a way to enjoy his on-stage persona. He comes across like a cross between Rainman and Hugh Laurie. And he does seem to be throwing away songs at the end of late. What’s up with him?

Mitch: Nice kid. Please send him home, Canada. He’s overstayed his welcome and I’d give anything to have Mookie in his place.

Drew: He sang very well tonight. However, I still don’t think he knows who he is. He needs to find his identity/personality. Too late in the season? I think so. We’ll see.

Theo: He was awesome tonight! Hubby says it’s not his style. I say I like him best when he plays piano AND he seemed to really work on AM’s advice to leave out the “fancy stuff”.

Earl: The first song was Earl all the way. The second song could have definately been better. I like Jake’s? (glasses/blond hair/producer) take on the first song. It’s his style and that’s what draws people. Perhaps he was nervous on the second one due to Zac’s (sp?) comment on the first one.

I think the final two s/b Theo/Earl! Personally, I still say Earl FTW! More my style. He knows who he is and needs to hang onto that!

Final note: I think Anne Murray gave some really good advice to each of them!

Second was probably Earl’s “Killing Me Softly,” another one that seemed real and interesting to me. Then there’s a big gap, with maybe Earl’s “Joker” or Drew’s Magic Dragon song next.

Neither of Theo’s did much for me. For someone with so much training, who gets so much love purely for his voice, I find it sounds thin and unsupported to my ears. I keep expecting more from him, but I’m not getting it. I guess I liked his “Chariot” song better than his country twangfest, but neither one flipped my switches.

Hated both of Mitch’s. I still think he could sound okay if he would just look up “Someday, Someway” as sung by Marshall Crenshaw. Clearly he’s nt listening to me, however. I also find him icky to watch. Something about the way he widens his eyes and screws around with his mouth. Nobody in this crew except Drew is easy to look at while they sing, what with Earl and the boppity wandering, Mitch twisting his face into unpleasant pictures, and Theo trying too hard for my taste.

Bring back Mookie!

Okay, enough of that.

Drew/Gravity: A-
Earl/Killing Me Softly: B
Earl/Joker: B-
Drew/Magic Unicorns and Hippos: B-
Theo/Chariot: C
Theo/Nasty Country Thing D+
Mitch/Cotton Jenny: D
Mitch/Bars or Whatever: F

Murray round:

Mitch, Not good. Seemed off.

Earl, Just Okay vocally. The wandering around the stage didn’t really work for me. It doesn’t draw me in at all. I’ll repeat what I’ve said in the past. I think I might like his albums but can’t imagine that I would get into a live concert.

Drew, Actually very good. This guy is completely different every single week. And that’s not always a good thing

Theo, nice but song was just a wee bit out of his range. I’ve heard versions by several artists including Ray Charles, Michael Buble, Willie Nelson and even Meryl Streep and Theo’s was just …. there.

Idol pick round:

Mitch, Between the Bars. The aw shucks smile just didn’t work to sell that song.

Earl, The Joker. Liked the vocals but there really does seem a part of Earl that isn’t 100% into the Idol experience any more. Jason Castro gave off the same vibe at the end. Maybe it’s the way he throws away his notes at the end of a phrase…?

Drew, Gravity. The soulful attempt just didn’t work as he pulls yet another genre out of his hat. Pushin Drew towards blues is a mistake I think.

Theo, Chariot. Seems a bit overpowered by the band. Not sure about the gimmick of climbing on the piano. Solid but nothing special for me. Side note: Has he put on a few pounds during this competition?

Drew was my favourite of the night – again. :confused_wp: This is weird. Anyway, I enjoyed both his songs.

They have been holding back their criticism of Mitch so that they could cut him loose now, for whatever reason. I said it last week, that they were close to doing this, and now they have. Bye Bye Mitch… I personally like him though.

Earl did seem like he didn’t want to be there. If enough people think that, Earl may be the one to go instead of Mitch…

For the first time, I didn’t hate Drew’s performance. For the last several weeks I’ve thought that he needs to go more in the direction the blue eyed soul. I think Drew is safe this week.

It looked like it was written all over Jake’s face that he didn’t want to go overboard with praise for Drew, for fear that he would give him the boost he would need in order to have shot at winning. Also, did you see Jake trying not to laugh at Zack’s rude comment…it was either Drew’s or Mitch’s second performance.

Mitch sings “Cotton Jenny” and then “Between the Bars” by Elliott Smith

Earl sings “Killing Me Softly” and then “The Joker” by Steve Miller Band

Drew sings “Hey Daddy” and then “Gravity” by John Mayer

Theo sings “You Don’t Know Me” and then “Chariot” by Gavin DeGraw