Let me apologize for the bite in my tone last week. I was exceedingly frustrated. Fortunately, I'm a little more calm this week with the knowledge that America finally seemed to awaken out of its dream state and vote more realistically by sending Kimberly Caldwell home and keeping Kimberley Locke out of the bottom three. If I'm nitpicking though, the voters were still slightly off - I actually think Kim C. deserved another week over Carmen, but I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. As long as the voters get it right again this Wednesday and send Carmen packing, I won't complain as to who went first on what week.
Thank God for Billy Joel and his amazing music. I have been waiting for this particular "theme" since the beginning of the top twelve competition and this was to me one of the more interesting and enjoyable episodes of the season. Sadly he wasn't able to guest judge but the commentary clips were a very nice touch. I especially enjoyed Mr. Joel's subtle wish that "the best MUSICIAN win". I knew what he was saying. He makes no secret of his desire to see talent come back to the forefront in this industry and I can't argue that sentiment at all. The legendary Smokey Robinson was a fine choice for a judge in his stead - I like the fact that he has been religiously following the competition before showing up to critique. I just wish he hadn't looked quite so scary. Zoiks, Scoob!
Down to business. Opening the show was Kimberly Caldwell, who in my opinion chose the entirely wrong song for her voice. When I first heard what the theme was, "Big Shot" immediately came to mind for her. I could hear her singing it (and singing it well, I might add) and I think perhaps if she had done so that might have saved her for one more week. Unfortunately her blasé voice stomped all over "It's Still Rock n' Roll To Me" and completely missed the mark. I've decided that my issue with Kim is simply her lack of feeling in anything she sings. The notes are on the page, that's what comes out of her mouth and hardly much else. The judges' surprise to see her in the bottom three felt like a complete put on. It was a long overdue ousting.
Up next was the amiable Ruben who made the classic "Just The Way You Are" his own. While I noticed him stretching his vocal range slightly, I couldn't disagree with Simon that he's becoming a tad predictable. As I said in last week's column, it's time for Ruben to get his church stomp on. The bar's been raised and if he wants to maintain his lead he's going to have to start pulling a couple of tricks out of his sleeve.
Who raised the bar? Well, Miss Kimberley Locke, of course. This girl simply knows how to choose a song. "New York State of Mind" - one of Billy's best, a personal favorite and a staple in my own repertoire, in fact - is nowhere near an easy song to sing. Kimberley decided to walk out on stage looking sleek and hip and better than she has so far and while she was at it showed us her soulful side without oversinging. Everything seemed to magically come together for her last week; she drew her line in the sand. Watch out, Clay and Ruben...she's sneakin' up on ya.
With a heavy sigh I now mention little Carmen. I have to say that I suspect that half of her crash-and-burn performance wasn't even her fault. Whoever morphed the pensive and melancholic piano-vocal ballad "And So It Goes" into a mid-tempo piece of pop drivel should be fired. It was an absolutely horrible arrangement. Carmen didn't even look like she was enjoying it herself. The remaining fifty percent of her performance, though? Entirely her fault. She really should have at least made an effort to sing on pitch - or perhaps chosen a song in which she could. It was so embarrassingly terrible that there was nearly weeping and gnashing of teeth on my end. I won't even get started on that ghastly dress/T-shirt combo. America...it's time. Take the cell phones away from the eighteen year old boys and twelve year old girls now. They've done enough damage already.
Enter the Marine. Josh chose the only song in Mr. Joel's entire catalog that I could have lived the rest of my life without ever hearing again. Refusing to allow my aversion to "Piano Man" color my opinion of Josh's performance however, I found he sang adequately and definitely deserves props for the octave jumps occurring throughout the song. I think I like Josh best in the middle-of-the-road voice he used that night - not quite country, not quite pop. Seems like a comfortable fit for him there as well as for the listener. He didn't do a bad job, but he didn't raise the hair on the back of my neck, either. It actually came off a little bit on the karaoke side to me, but he's still got a couple more weeks left.
I thought Trenyce did a perfectly fine job covering "Baby Grand" and I'm not quite sure why America didn't seem to be pleased, as they put her in the bottom three. Melodically that song is a pain in the neck and she not only landed the notes but peppered it with her own bluesy, soulful style. It was certainly good enough to keep her out of the bottom three in my opinion, but here is where my aggravation usually gets the best of me: watching this competition teeter dangerously between a serious vocal competition and nothing but a popularity contest. I fear she may be on the chopping block next week, which will definitely be a hundred times more wrong than Carmen going home. Wait, I take it back...a billion times more wrong. Do it right, America.
Our beloved Clay made me nearly jump for joy when I saw him wearing his "Miami Vice-wear for a new millennium." No office-issued pants and Oxford this week, HURRAY! However, his lack of movement during such an upbeat song was a bit of a letdown. He sang brilliantly as usual and I actually liked the arrangement starting out slowly and then kicking into tempo. However, I am still waiting for Clay to raise the stakes vocally and performance-wise. I feel he too is becoming as predictable as Ruben and considering that most of the country as well as critics seem to agree that it will come down to those two head to head in the end, it could make for a very uneventful final episode if they're still doing then what they're doing now. Clay, you've got the chops, now show them to us!
I hear rumors of a Paul McCartney theme this week but I haven't confirmed that. I've also heard of a Diane Warren theme which would stick us with ballad after ballad again (no disrespect to the writing machine that she is; but let's face it, those have been her greatest successes and I don't think it will translate well in the excitement department). Whatever the theme happens to be, at least we can count on at least five out of six enjoyable performances on Tuesday night. It's on, now.
Very quickly I'd also like to mention that Kelly Clarkson's new CD is an absolute delight. There's a little something for everyone on her first project and I found myself pleasantly surprised. Highlights of the album beside the first single ("Miss Independent") are "Low", "Just Missed the Train" and the big fat who-can-sing-higher vocal showdown with Tamyra Gray, "You Thought Wrong". Good stuff, money well-spent.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and Passover.
~Darci Monet Recording Artist, Studio Vocalist, Vocal Style Coach "Talent is back." Original Music: www.darcimonet.com Studio Work: www.mp3.com/darcivox
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