Idol Thoughts: The Top 11

It's "Idol" time once again ... eleven performers remaining, and ten will go home over the next couple of months. (Well, I guess in a way it would be nine, since there will still be two performers vying for the title by the time the final episode rolls around.) Anyway, as I said last week, things are getting a little dicey, because I'd hate to see almost any of them leave. Of course, one of them I really hated to see leave did so last week, to my dismay ... so in a way it's a little less dicey, since I'd have been rooting for him every week along with my other two or three favorites. But anyway, let's take a look at this week's installment....

Amanda Overmyer -- She gave a better performance this week than she has in the few weeks before, but I'm still not sure what to think of her. As Simon says, I think she could become a bit boring and predictable, unless she follows Paula's suggestion that she shake things up and do a ballad here and there. As I mentioned last week, a voice that only has one gear will get tiresome pretty quickly.

(Wait a minute ... did Amanda just say the S-word...?!? I think she did ... I guess Fox better get ready to pull out their wallets for the decency police...!)

Kristy Lee Cook -- I have a feeling we've seen the last performance from her. She's a good singer, but certainly not the best (she had her usual pitch problems here and there) ... and her face seemed like she was merely going through the motions. She's a good singer, just not a good performer.

David Archuleta -- No Beatles-related wordplay intended here, but ... oh, my sweet lord! Have you ever listened to a song that made you feel like you were taking a bubble bath? It sounds weird, I know, but that's how I felt throughout this performance. The kid learned from his unfortunate showing last week and bounced back to knock our socks off yet again. Unless someone else really delivers a slam-bang performance tonight, I know who's getting my vote.

Michael Johns -- I wouldn't envy anyone who had to follow right behind David Archuleta, because they'd almost inevitably seem unimpressive by comparison. Case in point: Michael Johns. He was okay, and I've heard better from him ... his voice seemed a bit shaky in places. Sad to say, as much as I've enjoyed him, I think he's gonna end up in the bottom three this week.

Brooke White -- Okay, I think that, with this wonderful performance, Brooke has become my favorite of the ladies. I definitely disagree with the judges ... I don't understand what they didn't like about the performance ... I sure didn't see any "awkwardness" or "disconnected" quality. As of now, my vote is still going to David A., but if we were still submitting separate votes for the guys and the girls, Brooke would be getting one from me this week.

David Cook -- I'm really getting to like this guy! I know he's going to be a great rock star with or without "Idol", and this proves it! I think the "voice box" thing was a bit gimmicky, at least for "Idol", but this dude rocks! I'm already sold on his forthcoming debut album (not even in the planning stages yet, but we all know it's gonna happen). He's definitely not going away anytime soon ... I bet he'll end up in the top four.

Carly Smithson -- Another impressive performance from Carly! I don't know if it was my favorite from her, but she's definitely got what it takes to keep going. I'm still a bit bothered by the fact that she's already been a recording artist, but I'm trying to get past that. I think she'll at least make it to the final four as well.

Jason Castro -- I'll admit, he's cute and has a lot of charm, but I haven't been enjoying his voice as much lately as I had before. He was taking a risk singing French without knowing the language, but seemed to pull it off okay. It's a good thing the girls love him, 'cause if they didn't, I think he'd be in the bottom three this week.

Syesha Mercado -- You can't really make a much more daring choice of Beatles song to perform than "Yesterday", but I think Syesha did it justice! She was my favorite for awhile but slipped down my list in recent weeks; this performance brings her back up a notch or two. She was in the bottom three last week, but I doubt she has to worry about that this time.

Chikezie -- Hmmm ... it was really good, but the ballad-turned-bluegrass thing felt a bit forced, since he did a similar thing last week. Randy and Paula thought more of it than I did, but I agree with Simon in that, among other things, the harmonica seemed a bit odd. (Maybe he shouldn't have told us beforehand that he didn't know how to play it....)

Ramiele Malubay -- Very good, and she appeared to be a bit more relaxed on stage this time, but her voice has sounded better ... she seemed awfully quiet on the low notes. I really like her, but I think she could be bidding us goodbye, sad to say.

Who I think will be in the bottom three: Kristy Lee Cook, Michael Johns, and Ramiele Malubay.

Who I think will be eliminated: Kristy Lee Cook.

Who I voted for: Yep, David Archuleta ... and you need only click here to see why.

I'm secretly (well, now that I've posted it, I guess it's not so "secret" anymore) hoping that they don't do another Beatles night next week. Two weeks was fine, and it's one helluva songbook, but it's time to move on to other fare. Not to mention, I think the performers have been somewhat intimidated by the legendary songs, and tended to handle them with "kid gloves". If Simon, Paula, and Randy want the contestants to make the songs their own, they probably shouldn't make them work with such sacred, iconic compositions.

But, for now, let's see who gets their walking papers this week. I think I'm pretty safe with my prediction....

The Feeling

THE FEELING
"JOIN WITH US"
(Universal Island/UK, 2008)


"Won't Go Away"


The Feeling's debut album, "Twelve Stops And Home", was fantastic -- and therein lies the problem when awaiting the sophomore effort from a band this good. While being really eager to get their hands on it, one would be wise to at the same time be fully prepared to be disappointed by it. But as it turns out, I needn't have worried that Dan Gillespie-Sells and company would reward their loyal fans with another set of delicious, '70s-pop-rock-inspired ear candy.

The lead-off single, "I Thought It Was Over", gives the listener the perfect idea of what to expect from this new disc. Picking up right where their previous album left off, it doesn't really break any new ground, but the band does exhibit subtle signs of natural growth, with lyrics and arrangements that are a bit more sophisticated in places ("Spare Me", "Loneliness", "Connor") ... and in other places, they seem to have a more relaxed sense of fun ("Turn It Up", "Won't Go Away").

Sure, this album could be thought of as "more of the same", since its sound isn't a radical departure from "Twelve Stops", but in a way that's a good thing. They didn't try veering off in a new direction -- and if they felt that doing so would seem unnatural or that it would alienate or confuse their fans, or if they simply didn't feel the need or desire to, then why should they? They stuck with the formula that made their first album a hit ... more power to them. At least they've made this fan already start hungering for album number three...!

Casey Stratton

CASEY STRATTON
"STANDING AT THE EDGE"
(Sony, 2004)


"Blood"


Classically trained in the violin and cello beginning at the tender age of eight years, American musician Casey Stratton's focus shifted from classical performace to pop songwriting and singing when he began studying piano at age eleven. In 1995 (at age 19), he began his pop recording career, releasing three albums independently before his major-label debut in 2004.

Stratton's lush pop brings to mind a variety of artists, such as Sarah McLachlan, Enya, Peter Gabriel, and Tori Amos. Stratton's unusually high singing voice might take some getting used to, but it carries with it a disarming mix of sophisticated songs, including rhythmic, radio-ready tunes ("Violet Room", "The House Of Jupiter", "Blood"), gentle, atmospheric ballads ("The Dead Sea", "Bloom"), and most everything in between.

This has been Stratton's only major-label release thusfar, but he continues to record and release albums independently. The only reason I haven't bought any of his other releases is because I'm not sure how much I'd like them. Admittedly, this isn't my favorite sub-genre of pop music; it took me awhile to come to like this album as much as I do now, and I just think that liking any of his others could be a longshot. But don't let that keep you away from Casey Stratton ... take it from someone who knows: you never know when you might stumble upon one of your new favorite artists.

What the--?!?!

Well, freakin' crap! I didn't see this one coming....




















I'll miss you, David Hernandez ... but I'll be looking for you on the CD racks!

Idol Thoughts: The Top 12

Okay, now we're into the Top 12! I'm getting really excited here, but I'm also getting really nervous, 'cause we're going to see nothing but good singers get the boot every week now. And now, since there's a new set and a new title sequence on "American Idol", I thought I'd try something new: to write my comments "live", as it were -- as the show is going on, that is. (Until now, I was just making quick notes and writing out the full article the next morning; now I'm writing it all out the night before ... still posting in the morning, you'll notice, but this time it's just touch-ups.) So, let's get started:

Syesha Mercado -- A very good start to the show, with "Gotta Get You Into My Life". I think I've heard better from her, but with the way she strutted her stuff this time around, there's really nothing to complain about.

Chikezie -- I had the sneaking suspicion that he was going to blow me away sooner or later, and this week he finally did! I'll be interested to see if anyone can top his amazingly creative bluegrass-to-country-rock rendition of "She's a Woman". He rocked the house, for sure!!

Ramiele Malubay -- As much as I've come to love her, and as much as I hate to agree with Simon, I must say that her delivery of "In My Life" was a somewhat forgettable turn ... although, in fairness, it came right after Chikezie's amazing performance. She is starting to come into her own, but still needs to let her voice fly.

Jason Castro -- His take on "If I Fell" was pretty good, but far from his strongest performance. I honestly found his voice a bit "whiney" here and there, and (as Randy pointed out) the odd vocal arrangement threw me off a bit. A lot of viewers love him, but I just wasn't "feeling it" tonight.

Carly Smithson -- In what may be her best performance yet, she did an absolutely stirring rendition of "Come Together"! But the one thing I can't shake out of my mind about her is the simple fact that she's already had a professional recording contract. (Am I being unfair in that respect...?)

David Cook -- He'd have to work really, really hard to top what he did last week, but he delivered a great take on "Eleanor Rigby" ... I heard a couple of sour notes sneak in, but his performance made up for it ... really good!

Brooke White -- A tender piano rendition of "Let It Be" ... very, very good, although I liked her last couple of performances better. Still, I'm not quite ready to see her go just yet, so I hope she stays in the game.

David Hernandez -- I must say that this wasn't his best offering. I agree with the judges that he put a bit too much into his performance of "I Saw Her Standing There", and as a result it made him seem to not put enough into his voice. I just hope it doesn't cost him a Top-10 berth, 'cause I haven't seen enough of him yet, either.

Amanda Overmyer -- We knew she was gonna rock the Beatles, and she didn't disappoint, belting out "You Can't Do That". But I'm wondering if I'm starting to tire of her voice. It really isn't the most versatile in the world, and I'm still associating her with Janis Joplin ... and not many songs sound good sung with that kind of voice.

Michael Johns -- "Across The Universe" is one of my favorite Beatles songs, and he did as good a job of it as he could, sticking with a traditional arrangement. I've heard better from him, though, so I'm a bit worried about his chances for surviving this week's round.

Kristy Lee Cook -- Another countrified version of a Beatles song, this time "Eight Days a Week", and pretty good -- hey, it'd have to be phenomenal to beat Chikezie's performance -- and it was perhaps Kristy Lee's best vocal showing, but there seemed to be something missing ... perhaps that it just sounded like a Beatles song plugged into a country arrangement, and that her stage presence seemed to be a bit lacking. But I did think the judges were a lot more harsh on her than they should have been....

David Archuleta -- Did they save the best for last? The best performer overall, definitely (in my opinion, of course) ... but, sadly, not his best performance. We all could tell that he forgot the lyrics to "We Can Work It Out" in a couple of places, but he recovered pretty well for being as new to performing as he is. Despite the shortcomings of his performance this week (and again, I disagree with the lukewarm reactions of the judges), he's still got arguably the most talent, lovability, and charisma of all the contestants.

Now, I'm not sure how things go from here as far as the eliminations, so I'm going to give my predictions assuming that two will be removed....

Who I think ought to be eliminated: Jason Castro (his weakest performance thusfar) and Amanda Overmyer (she's fun, yes, but the novelty is starting to wear off for me).

Who I think will be eliminated: Michael Johns (I think Jason has too many fans to be eliminated this early) and Kristy Lee Cook (ditto for Amanda, more fans than Kristy Lee).

Who I voted for: David Archuleta -- I wanted to vote for Chikezie, but somehow I think he's gonna do quite alright in the viewer votes department this week ... I had to support David in light of his unfortunate lyric trip-ups ... I was sure feeling the agony for the kid, I love him so much. (Yeah, right ... like he's gonna be booted this early, if at all!)

Let's all tune in tonight for the results...!

Relish

RELISH
"WILDFLOWERS"
(EMI/Ireland, 2001)


"Rainbow Zephyr"


Hailing from Ireland, three-man band Relish (not to be confused with the lesser-known American metal band of the same name) was something of a cross between Lenny Kravitz and Blessid Union of Souls. Their sound combined the best elements of both: the soulful rock of the former (indeed, Ken Papenfus' voice is almost a dead ringer for Kravitz's) and the quasi-spiritual pop sensibility of the latter.

Relish were equally adept at breezy love songs ("You I'm Thinking Of"), bouncy pop numbers ("Natural High"), sweet ballads (the title track), and solid rockers ("Heart-Shaped Box" -- not a cover of the Nirvana song, by the way), but they still give me goosebumps with the soaring anthem "Rainbow Zephyr", which would sound completely natural being sung by a large gospel choir. Westlife fans may recognize this song (with altered lyrics) under a different title, "Hey Whatever", recorded by the group two years later -- but I find the original to be far, far superior.

Relish has thusfar only released one other album ("Karma Calling" in 2003), and have never formally announced a breakup, but their official website hasn't been updated at all in nearly two years, so I'm not holding out much hope. I discovered this band through a happy accident, when I picked up their debut CD from the Virgin Megastore clearance bin on a whim, so if they have quietly disappeared into music history, I suppose I should at least be thankful that I was able to enjoy their two albums rather than never having found them at all.

BBMak

BBMAK
"INTO YOUR HEAD"
(Hollywood, 2002)


"So Wrong So Right"


Mark Barry, Christian Burns, and Stephen McNally -- collectively known as the British pop trio BBMak -- sprang onto the scene in 2000 with their debut album, "Sooner Or Later", an inoffensive and generally upbeat mix of pop and R&B. Critics (both professional and amateur) tended to lump them into the "boyband" category, but BBMak set themselves apart by writing their own material and playing their own instruments; the songs were far less synth-pop and far more acoustic and natural-feeling than the likes of NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. Their breath-of-fresh-air sound helped their album achieve gold-selling status with a peak position of #38 on the U.S. album charts, as well as spawning two Top-40 singles.

Their sound stayed relatively the same for their sophomore album, "Into Your Head", but their lyrics and arrangements became more mature. I find it curious that this album didn't sell as well as their debut, because I personally found this batch of songs much more enjoyable and memorable. I have just a vague recollection of the melodies from one or two of the songs from their first album, they made that little of an impression on me. But by contrast, I was able to recall the choruses from most of the songs on this album just by reading their titles in the track listing, and that was after not listening to the album for over a year. And with as much music as I listen to, that's really saying something.

The hit single "Out Of My Heart" ... the uplifting "Get You Through The Night" ... the heartbreaking "After All Is Said And Done" ... the epic "Sympathy" (with its orchestral punches) ... the optimistic "I Still Believe" ... and with the guys' soaring vocal harmonies and wonderful, jangly instrumentation throughout the entire album ... what could be better? Included in this post is a rare (I think) bonus track not found on the U.S. edition.

Barry, Burns, and McNally went their separate ways in 2003, and have all since pursued solo careers, as well as Burns fronting a new band called Inhaler, and McNally auditioning for the UK music-competiton show "The X Factor". It's too bad we only got a precious two albums from the unique chemistry that they produced together.

Idol Thoughts: Viewer Votes - Round 3

Well, this week's "Idol" broadcasts were as enjoyable as always, and I'm really starting to get anxious about who's going to get cut from week to week. I mean, there are nothing but good singers now (well, maybe with a couple of exceptions), so the exits are only going to get more heartbreaking from here on out. But, for now, let's break things down....

Luke Menard kicked guys' night off quite well, although he loses a point or two from me for his choice of song (I'm sorry, but "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" makes me cringe). Michael Johns was a bit less stellar than usual this week, and ditto for David Hernandez, who was possibly preoccupied with the unfortunate disclosure of his previous profession (shame on Simon for trying to egg the other judges on to use the word "strip" in their critique, and also for allowing his voice to be heard over the air when doing so).

Chikezie held his own with another well-played soulful number, and Jason Castro switched things up a bit by ditching his guitar and using just his voice, and he was quite decent. David Archuleta, as usual, was positively fantastic (He plays piano too? How sickeningly talented is this kid, anyway?!?) ... but I think someone might have one-upped him, for a change, and this one was definitely unexpected: David Cook really stood out with his rocking rendition of the normally syrupy Lionel Richie ballad "Hello".

Who I think ought to be eliminated: Danny Noriega (yes, I hate to say it again ... the boy is adorable, but somehow just can't stay in tune, at least not enough for my comfort level) and Luke Menard (it's a close call, but I have to say his was the least impressive performance of the night).

Who I think will be eliminated: Danny Noriega (come on, people, it's time), and Jason Castro (somehow I get the feeling he didn't connect with enough people ... call it a hunch).

Who I voted for: David Hernandez. "What?" you ask incredulously. "Not David Archuleta?" Not this week. Hey, we all know that David A. is positively mopping the floor with the other guys, so I figure he didn't need my vote this time. Plus I just feel the need to give David H. my support ... I just hope that enough Americans are able to keep their hypocrisy and double-standards about sexuality (and sex as it relates to the music world) at bay, and give him enough votes to keep him in the game. His voice deserves to get him into the final four.

We saw another great night from the ladies as well. Amanda Overmyer gave what I thought was her best performance since entering the Top 24, and I felt the same way about Kristy Lee Cook. Also, for the first time, I was truly impressed with Carly Smithson (I know ... it took me long enough, didn't it?). Brooke White again put a spin on a song by taking the acoustic ballad approach to the Pat Benatar rocker "Love Is a Battlefield", and the results were fantastic. And my two overall favorite ladies, Ramiele Malubay and Syesha Mercado, again turned in excellent performances.

Who I think ought to be eliminated: Yeah, the only two names I didn't mention in the paragraph above: Asia'h Epperson and Kady Malloy ... the two least exciting performances of the evening.

Who I think will be eliminated: Asia'h Epperson and Kady Malloy.

Who I voted for: Brooke White ... what can I say? Her acoustic twist on that song really captivated me. No matter how much further she gets in the competition, I'm sure she'll have a great career in music ahead of her.

Gosh ... can I stand to wait until tonight to see the results? If I'm not right in who I think will be eliminated, tears may very well be shed....

Kyle Riabko

KYLE RIABKO
"BEFORE I SPEAK"
(Columbia, 2005)


"Before I Speak"


Listening to this album, it's hard to believe that Canadian singer/songwriter Kyle Riabko was only 17 years old when he recorded it. His prodigious guitar talent (nearly every note of guitar on the album was performed by him), crisp and robust voice (as sweet and soulful as could possibly be), and keen songwriting skills (he wrote every song) were befitting of a man twice his age, and the resulting album is every bit as good as his gift for music would suggest.

The twelve songs, interspersed with three short "interlude"-type tracks, weave together elements of everything from blues to rock to funk to soul, and I think there might even be a tiny bit of country in there somewhere too. The delicate ballad "Half as Much", the frantic rocker "Paranoid" (with the fantastic lyric, "My life is a twister, so bear with me, sister"), the swaggering blues number "Miss Behavin'", the catchy rock-soul duet "Chemistry" (featuring Liz Phair on guest vocals), and the first-class funk of the title track, are just a few of the highlights.

I'm not sure why he hasn't released any more full-length CDs since this one, but he has been releasing an EP every once in awhile, when his acting gig (on the teen comedy/drama series "Instant Star"), and his fill-in touring work with roots-rock band Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers, aren't keeping him busy.

Rooster

ROOSTER
"CIRCLES AND SATELLITES"
(Brightside, 2006)


"I Come Alive"


UK band Rooster were off to a promising start in 2005, with their self-titled debut album reaching Number 3 on the UK chart, having already had their first two singles climb into the Top Ten. Their gritty, muscly rock sound, inspired by '70s bands like Cream and Led Zeppelin, combined with the throaty growl of lead vocalist Nick Atkinson, was poised to overtake the more polished, teen-friendly pop-rock of bands like Busted and the then up-and-coming McFly.

But then, "Home", the lead-off single of their sophomore album, failed to grab the listeners' attention and peaked at a disappointing #33. Rather than releasing the album on schedule, the label postponed it for several weeks, which might have contributed to its lackluster sales. (Hey, if a debut album was as good as Rooster's, wouldn't you have been eager to pick up their next one? I sure was.) In my opinion, "Home" was a poor choice for first single, 'cause there are plenty of more exciting tracks on this gem of an album.

From the frenetic rockers like "I Come Alive" and "Unexpectedly", to the foot-stomping energy of "Get Up" and "So Long", to the tender balladry of "Everything Moves So Fast" and "Clear Skies", to the heavy funk of "Halo", there's just as much to like on this album as there was on their debut -- if not more. The Japanese version, released first, contains one bonus track not included on the UK version, which didn't appear until a few months later.

This is yet another case study in my continuing argument that the major-label industry is ridiculously impatient with their artists when it comes to putting out hit records -- the artist seems to get treated that much better or that much worse, depending on whatever their chart position is at the time. (Debut albums by artists like Bruce Springsteen and Huey Lewis & The News performed rather poorly, and it took them awhile to become the successful artists that they eventually did ... a chance that they would never have been given if they were starting out now instead of 20 to 30 years ago.) Rooster broke up in January of 2007, and I have to wonder if it was a result of their treatment by their label. Alas, we may never know ... and we'll also never know what a fantastic third album from them might have sounded like.