As much as it pains my pride to admit it, I am again partaking in a phenomenon popularly described as “American Idol”.I can’t help it. The show is addicting. Even my mom thinks so.
Here are my observations so far:
Danny Gokey:One of my early favorites. He’s got a great, raspy, gravelly voice that is reminicient of David Cook. I can see him doing Christian Rock, since he’s a choir director and he’s got that Run Kid Run vibe.
Kris Allen:I. Love. Him. Not only is he the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen in my life, but he’s also a great singer. In Randy’s words, he’s got this great “Jason Mraz-y vibe”. I agree. He sounds surprisingly similar to my musician crush, and he even does that jaw disconnect thing. But he’s a brilliant artist, since he can make any old song sound incredible, new, and relevant. He can play the guitar and the piano.
Lil Rounds:24 year old mother of three with a voice that could shatter windows. Unfortunately, in the words of the new judge, Kara DioGuardi, she doesn’t have any “artistry”. She picks terrible songs that end up making her a Whitney Houston wanna-be, which is unfortunate since her voice is so incredible. She doesn’t really stand out for me, because I’m not exactly sure what she would be singing after the show. At least, I’m not sure what she could sing that wouldn’t sound like everyone else.
Anoop Desai:Another of my early favorites, because he was such a nerdy audition. He’s prepped up his wardrobe, and surprisingly, he has an excellent voice. But, even on a more extreme level than Lil, he has no artistry. His voice is different enough that it would stand out, but in what? He’s too nerdy for R&B, his self-proclaimed genre. He’s not creative enough to be a singer/songwriter Jason Mraz type. He’s not preppy enough to sing pop. He’s not grungy enough to be a rocker. Where does he fit in? We’ll see.
Scott MacIntyre:The mostly blind piano player can play the guitar as well! Although he’s not the strongest singer of the group (DannyKrisDannyKris), he’s definitely got his niche, and he’s ticking to it. Every song he sings connects with the audience, because his voice is so deep and mournful. He is an incredible piano player, and I can definitely see him as a independent singer/songwriter, with slightly less pop-reggae like Jason Mraz and Kris Allen.
Allison Iraheta: The youngest contestant on the show at 16 (that’s younger than me!!), she definitely has some hot vocals. Of the two girls left, she’s my favorite. Although she sounds like a heavy smoker when she talks, her voice is grungy and indie-rock, which I like. She’s one of the few female singers that I can stand listening to, which is a feat.
Matt Giraud:I actually kind of love and hate this man at the same time. His Coldplay and The Fray performances were exactly what you DON’T want to listen to, which were copy-cats of the originals. But the other stuff he tries is actually pretty good. He’s our third piano player (actually, he’s a dueling piano player- pretty cool), and when he’s not trying to sound like the original singer of the song, he’s amazing! He’s definitely in the same genre as the Fray, Coldplay, and Gavin Degraw, but he needs to stop trying to sound like them. I also hate looking at him, because I can’t keep my eyes off the giant wart in the center of his Great Wall of China forehead and his upper gums when he smiles. That sounds shallow, but I’m sorry. I just can’t look at him.
Adam Lambert: I like his toned-down, no nail polish look SO much better than his previous circus show get up. But this isn’t a fashion show. I have mixed feelings about this one. While I agree that he has strong vocals (in higher notes that I can even talk), he’s a bit too weird for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for being different, but I don’t think I’d go buy his CD. Maybe because he sounds a little like Steven Tyler, and I’m not a huge fan. The judges think that he kills it every week, and people must really like him, but I dunno. Thoughts?
My pick for top three would be Kris Allen, Danny Gokey, and a toss up between Allison Iraheta and Matt Giraud. The others, in order, would be Scott MacIntyre, Adam Lambert, Anoop Desai, and Lil Rounds.
