Katharine: Lovely face. Flabby body. Good voice with a limited range. Paula's right. When Katharine tries to force the music she has almost an angry sound. She simply is not a power singer, but tries to be and it's a mistake. As you've noticed several times, when she's relaxed and just jamming with the celeb coaches, she sounds much better. That's because her vocals are more toned down and mellow. For all her goofiness, Paula sometimes gives the contestants the best advice. She told Katharine to remember where her money notes were, and she's right. Let me put it this way: Katharine would do better trying to emulate singers like Patti Page and Rosemary Clooney than singers like Whitney Houston and Barbara Streisand.
Paris: Listening to her last night, it occurred to me for the first time that the girl's speaking voice DOES interfere with her singing voice. No question about it, Paris has talent. She has zero charisma, as I've said before, but part of that may be due to her young age. If I could give Paris some advice it would be to not sing another note after this contest and the summer tour until she first acquires the services of a top-notch speaking voice coach. The speaking voice can be modulated and improved, particularly in someone so young. I think that would also improve her singing voice. Why? It occurred to me that when she sings, Paris sounds more than a little like a boy going through the voice change.
Kellie: What can I say that others haven't already. Last week and this her vocal limitations have been on full display. What on earth possessed her to choose "Unchained Melody" is beyond me, because she simply does not have the vocal chops to handle a song like that. Jonny, do you remember Kelly Clarkson's high C note in her rendition of 'Natural Woman?' (Kids today call it a whistle note.) Compare your memory of it (or if you still have the video I sent you, maybe replay it) to Pickle's warbly, uncertain high note last night. The difference between someone who has a real, natural gift and exceptional range vs. someone like Pickle, who is, at best, a high-school-level chorus line singer could not be more stark. If Pickle doesn't go home tonight, the point will be made most clearly that this is no longer a singing contest.
Taylor: Although I started out the season not liking him at all, I really do like him now. Unfortunately, although I don't think that was a terrible performance, he simply is not stepping up his game. I'm beginning to think he can't step it up, and that we're seeing his limitations. I can't quite put my finger on what's missing from his performances, though. Last night my strongest impression was that he's coasting. Choosing relatively easy material and relying on a relatively big finish to his songs to keep him in the competition. But I don't know if I've got it right.
Chris: To be honest, my attention kept wandering during his performance. I don't know if it was due to his performance or to the late hour when I watched my recording of the show. Chris is the most theatrical and possibly the most commercially viable of the remaining contestants for the current musical era. He has a decent voice, no question about it, but he just doesn't do it for me.
Elliott: Best of the night by far. Elliott brings something to his music that Paris, Katharine and Chris should learn, and that's subtlety. Elliott is a vocal artist. So is Taylor, or he tries to be, but of the two, Elliott is much better in my opinion. The others are just singers.
Something I want to say about Elliott's backstory. Unlike Pickle, who has used (or the show has used) her backstory to death, if I recall correctly we only heard about Elliott's deafness once. But his disability has a direct bearing on his ability to sing. That he sings so well despite it is truly amazing. Like Elliott, my father was deaf in one ear. I know the challenges of that particular disability. Elliott does not have "stereo" 360 degree hearing like the rest of us. He can only partially hear himself and the band, yet he is always on pitch and always in time to the music. He chooses difficult songs, often the most difficult of a given night, yet his phrasing is good and his key changes are smooth, all without a lot of unnecessary vocal gymnastics. Early on I tagged him as having the best voice of the males, now I think his performance skills are catching up. It sure doesn't hurt that the makeover people have done a very good job with him. I think of all this year's contestants, Elliott is the one I most want to have a viable career when this season is over.