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.
Agree with you that Katharine needs to stop taking blasters like Whitney or Celine as her models. If I were coaching her, I think I'd have her listening to Jane Monheit CD's continuously for the next week or so.
Good write up!!
Yes, I'm for Elliot too. The makeover folks need to get him some laminates for his teeth pronto. While watching AI last night, I flipped back and forth to America's Next Top Model, where they took care of one of the contestant's teeth literally overnight. Big difference. Probably less than $10k. Hopefully, Elliot will have the bucks to improve his teeth very soon.
You make an excellent observation here. I'm surprised that her mother and or grandmother haven't come to the realization. The sooner she gets rid of that squeaky high pitched speaking voice the better. It isn't 'cute' it's annoying and as a young adult she will be better served getting rid of it.
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.
I like him, but last night I hated his performance. To me it looked like his Country Roads performance. Like he was not enjoying the song and like he was uncomfortable with the song for any number of reasons. Recall the coach saying he was pulling for him to hit the note? Well, why sing a song that you just have such a hard time with the notes on? To me, that song just didn't seem like a song that he would normally do. There must have been so many other songs that he could have done instead. To me, last night was his worst, I'd rather he traded songs with Paris!
I also agree with you regarding Katharine. She tries to hard to hit the big notes and when she does try, they miss and sound forced and rough to me.
I hope Taylor gets back on his game for next week though, because this week sucked, in my opinion, and I know its a subjective thing as I have read on otehr forums that some people thought it was his best yet. Glad someone liked it, but I sure didn't. :)
I agree. Good analysis of the show. :)
How have you been? Good I hope. See you later.
That point was made when Mandissa was sent home.
Katharine: Lovely face. Flabby body
Ouch, I have to disagree with that. She may be a little wide in the hips, but I wouldn't call that flabby. (I just left Walmart and I saw plenty of flabby! :)
If Pickle doesn't go home tonight, the point will be made most clearly that this is no longer a singing contest.
If she's not at least in the bottom two (or three) then something is very wrong.
Paris will probably be the one leaving tonight--even though it should be Pickler. Just as long as it's not anyone else.