ProVocalist
Enthusiast
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Registered: Feb 2006
Local time: 01:41 PM
Location: L.A. (native New Yorker, former Nashvillian)
Posts: 62
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Greetings, friends! I'm Darci Monet (details in my profile if you're interested), singer/songwriter/freelance writer, and this is my weekly critique of the Idol contestants' performances. I don't bring up what I do for a living to make anyone feel inferior; rather so you are aware of the angle from which I write my reviews. I welcome everyone's opinion who cares to share, as long as we keep this a bash-free thread in all ways. So here's my gut-reaction, one-listen-only review for this week.
Oh my goodness...this is the first moment I've been able to sit still for at least an hour in a week! Home decorating. Shopping, shopping and more shopping. And for someone who HATES shopping? It's A LOT. However, my tiny little apartment is coming together and when I finally find all the right little trinkets, a happy HAPPY woman I will be! Will I have it done in time for my birthday shindig this Saturday? Most likely not. I shall resist the temptation to fill my home with junk just to be able to say "I'm done" and try to be patient in looking for just the right things. But what the hey??? This is SO not American Idol talk! Someone shut me up. I'm just killing time till the show starts. And considering how very exhausted I am...the show better start QUICK! Or I'm likely to do one of two things...never shut up about my apartment...or fall asleep and slam my forehead against my keyboard. Neither would be good. 
Two weeks till the finale, Ryan? Go figure! Amazing how much faster the season goes when you skip the "bad" auditions. I just wish I was as excited about this final four as I'd been in seasons past. Why am I not? They're all really talented...but they all (even Taylor to some degree) lack that MEGA-PERSONALITY that other end-of-season contestants had. Anyway...who cares...what do I know? It's Elvis week. And I think Elvis is cool. Or was. But Priscilla...STOP WITH THE SURGERY. Jeez Louise, lady! She was so beautiful...now she looks like her wax likeness (if she even has one) at Madame Tussaud's. One word: creeptastic! 
And Taylor kicks the evening off. "Jailhouse Rock" should be an absolute breeze for him. Mr. Mattola, (call me) THANK YOU for playing with the key...so far the only celeb coach to have done so with any of the contestants, from what we've seen. I've been griping about this since week one of top 24! Wrong keys all over the place! Not this time. And it begins...Taylor, GO! For those wondering...I think he just lost his ear monitor. And dude...that rocked, indeed. Taylor in his absolute element (hey I typed that right as Randy said it!), he really started the show off with a bang. Simon is DESPERATE for anyone but Taylor to win. I mean, he's so unbelievably transparent that he's almost breaking out in a sweat. I think it's HILARIOUS, because for the first time in five seasons, he's REALLY in danger of being WRONG WRONG WRONG and I really want that to happen. Anyway...enough of that arse. I thought Taylor was awesome. I find nothing in that performance, vocally or otherwise, to complain about.
Ryan pretending he's uncomfortable with Chris talking about boxer briefs. Whatever, dude. You dumped Terri freakin' Hatcher. There can only be one reason for that. *eyebrow raised* Anyway...Chris starts up with "Suspicious Minds". Hahaha...diggin' the shades, rock god! And I like that he's staying old school with this song...he really could have done plenty to rock this up, but he did say it was his fave Elvis song, and I choose to believe he didn't change the arrangement out of respect. Now, all in all, that was a perfectly pleasant performance, but nothing that stopped the world from turning. Good. Just not great.
Now dear Elliott, edited as tonight's underdog...wonder why?  Now...I do love Elliott's voice, but someone does need to work with him on how to control that vibrato...and by "control", I don't mean slow it down, I mean learn when to use it and when not to. He overuses it in his low register, where it has a tendency to become distracting. As a result, I felt like the beginning of the song was a bit shaky for a few lines, but as he went along he really, really, REALLY ended up slamming that down. I would have to say that might be one of my favorite vocal performances from him. Good choice, El. Great performance.
Pink wine refill. BRB.
So Kat's singing "Hound Dog"? With a twist, she say? Hmmmmmm. Lessee. If she comes out of her shell with this, it could rock. Feel it and free it, sister. Bless her heart...she ran out of breath AND blanked on her words! But who cares? That was one of her most jubilant and fun performances yet. One of my favorite vocals from her. And here we go again, Simon. Now we boil down to it...Simon wants Chris to win and has said so since day one and as a result he's on the rampage. It was NOT - and I'm not exactly a KatPhan (see what I did there? cute, huh?  ) - as bad as all that, you big-mouthed brute! Dang, there's a reason we dumped your tea in the harbor dude, and you just continue to justify it week after week. 
Taylor's back up, talking about Graceland. All the years I lived in Tennessee...NEVER visited Memphis, never saw Graceland. I'm an idiot. Anyway...oh WOW, he's going with "In The Ghetto"! Okay seriously, I did not want that to end. WOW. He turned a song that some have made into a racist punchline into a moving, relevant performance. Many have said they've been waiting for the "Summertime" of this season and THAT, in my opinion, was it. That was truly, truly an awesome vocal performance.
Chris is back with "A Little Less Conversation". THANK YOU TOMMY (call me)!!! Practice in front of a mirror, yes, yes, yes! Sometimes I wonder if these contestants ever get to see their performances and as a result learn to improve upon them. Anyway, I enjoy Chris using his baritone range...sexy...like he's actually speaking to someone. Get it? Conversation? A little less...? Anyway, now he ups it an octave and POW! Oh yeah, that was wickedly cool! A GREAT performance. Okay, I give up, I can't figure Simon. This is his lead horse...oh but he plays the game, I forget. Simon probably just got Chris' fans voting like madpeeps after that. Sneaky fox. Anyway, I liked this performance over Chris' first. I thought we really saw some diversity from him tonight, respecting The King as he did with the arrangements. As the guys from another show last summer would say, "good on ya, mate."
I am totally enjoying this show tonight so far. What a welcome surprise. So far everyone's been bringing it and that's what I've been asking for. All four slugging it out for the top three spots. Then all three slugging it out for the top two. Then the top two...you get the idea. HOT. 
Elliott's back with his second tune, "Trouble". Hmmmmm...now here's a song that I think could be so much better than he's singing it. Wait...I am taking that back...as with just about every song Elliott does, it takes him a wee bit to get warmed up. Once he does, dude can freakin' THROW. IT. DOWN! At first he started out a bit too sweetly, holding the phrases out a bit too long, the tone, attacks and diction a bit too "pretty". But then...okay, THEN. Oh hayull. Work it, Elliott. Dang. He pulled out the grit and it worked! Kat really has to kick some serious booty to eek by him tonight. He isn't giving up that top three spot without a fight, that is FO SHO.
Kat's going to do "Can't Help Falling In Love", which is a song I love, but not a song I'm at all surprised that she chose. Why? Cuz she almost NEVER takes risks and that song is not a risk for her. We know she can sing a ballad, she'll have to do something really original with this to make it unforgettable in a positive way. Tommy's (call me) nailed her...vocals come so easily to her that she DOES forget what she's singing. THANK YOU for putting your finger on her emotional vacancy. And she begins. Lovely, if a split hair flat. Dang it...stop doing a buttload of licks through it...and stop yelling...oh dear God...this arrangement is offensive. Flat out offensive! It's a disservice to the lyric, a disservice to the beautiful melody, a disservice to the tenderness Elvis gave it...it sounds like a bad Queen tribute band got ahold of it and beat the bejesus out of it and I HATED IT. Crap. She really could have worked that song to her advantage but she chose not to. Stunning...Simon and I actually agree. For once...yes Simon, the arrangement was way too much. She could have made that another "Someone To Watch Over Me" but even better...but alas. No dice. So frustrating. 
If I had to guess who was going tomorrow based solely on the strength of this evening's performances, then it's Kat, simply because everyone else had two good and/or great performances and she had one good performance and one absolute bomb. It would be the fair thing for her to leave. If Elliott goes after this, I will be flat out amazed and ANGRY. But at least he will have gone out with flying colors. I guess. 
Okay folks...I'm absolutely dragging. Time to hang with House (holy DISTURBING show intro, Batman! :eek ) and then my peeps at Law & Order: SVU. Then bed. Then...oh I just can't think about all I have to do before Saturday. Ugh. 
So...what did you all think about tonight's show? 
~Darci Monet
Professional vocalist/songwriter/freelance writer
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"Any girl can be glamorous, all you have to do is stand still and look stupid." ~Hedy Lamarr |
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05-10-2006 05:59 AM
