'American Idol' Final Season Recap - Showcase #3

We had a fine but somewhat forgettable first live round of American Idol last week, but perhaps that's expected. The contestants are still getting used to the Idol stage, and the producers are still getting to know the contestants. Hell, even my recapping skills were compromised by (embarrassingly) having the Gershwin classic "Summertime" autocorrected to "Suppertime" without my knowledge. Was I distracted, impatient to post or hunger? We'll never know. All that is to say that the kinks are still being worked out. Tonight, we have a new dozen. Let's see how they do, shall we?

As I always do, I’ll rate each song on a scale of 0-5 along with a short blurb and then pick my favorite and least favorite performances of the night. For this special episode, my star ratings will reflect the contestants more than the duet as a whole.

Shelbie Z (“Work Hard, Play Harder” by Gretchen Wilson) - * * * ½

Here’s the thing. I like Shelbie Z and have liked her since her stint on The Voice. She has a strong, vivacious country voice and a spunky stage presence. But there’s a certain…something missing from Shelbie’s performances. Despite her pipes, it comes across as really good country karaoke.

Manny Torres (“Adventure Of A Lifetime” by Coldplay) - * * ½

At this point, song choice is 99% of the battle. Manny came off well on camera and surely has fine, if perhaps unremarkable, vocals. But this insipid Coldplay number had no character or recognizable hook to latch onto. It just didn’t let Manny show off his voice or let us into what makes him special.

Kory Wheeler (“Let It Go” by James Bay) - * * * ½

While it’s true that Kory’s James Bay cover was “not particularly special” (as Harry put it), he showed something the last two lacked. With one (somewhat bland) song, you could tell exactly what kind of artist Kory will be. Idol could use a piano-alt-rock guy and, with some more coaching, Kory could be it.

Amelia Eisenhower (“Wake Me Up” by Avicci) - * * *

Amelia’s “Wake Me Up” seemed to have an identity crisis. It was like she tried to reinvent the rock tune into a slow, mournful ballad and then just gave up after a verse. While the first part was musically interesting, if not lethargic, the second half was cookie cutter and a bit screechy. But all that being said, there’s a great, young energy about Amelia. She’s one that you just want to watch and root for. “Wake Me Up” isn’t the right song for her, but with the right material she could be a real front-runner.

Jenn Blosil (“Sorry” by Justin Bieber) - * * *

I’ve said before that Jenn reminds me of last year’s MVP Jax – the mournful piano playing, the squeaky vocals, the quirky personality. She has a Sia vibe that has real merit on the Idol stage. They could use an original voice like that, and she has a magnetic stage presence that keeps you interested. But her quivering pitch and lackluster arrangement meant that this “Sorry” never fully got out of first gear.

CJ Johnson (“I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain) - * * * *

CJ has a really likable voice with the right amount of gravel in his voice and an honest musicality. I can (almost) overlook some pitchy spots when a performance is so assured and connected. But how can you take an artist totally seriously singing such a schmaltzy, overdone, wedding band song?

Lee Jean (“Runaway” by Ed Sheeran) - * * * *

I usually agree with Keith, but I think this bluesy Ed Sheeran track is the perfect song for Lee Jean. It’s not overdone and shows off his pop-meets-soul vibe. Besides, Lee just seems so comfortable on stage. He feels like an old pro at 16. It wasn’t perfect, but he showed the most promise so far.

Trent Harmon (“What Are You Listening To” by Chris Stapleton) - * * * ½

I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something about Trent’s voice that rubs me the wrong way. It’s like he’s singing from one of those vibrating chairs you find at the mall. He emotes well, his pitch was fine. It just didn’t personally do it for me.

Tristan McIntosh (“Good Girl” by Carrie Underwood) - * * *

Songs like this are all about character. Sure, Tristan is a killer vocalist (she’s one of the best singers in the competition, without question), but I just don’t buy her as a vengeful, sexy “bad girl.” You have to be yourself on Idol, and playing an ill-fitting role wasn’t a good step for her.

Adam Lasher (“Black and Gold” by Sam Sparro) - * * * ½

I don’t know “Black and Gold,” so I can’t comment on his interpretation, but I can say that the song didn’t do him any favors. There was no real hook and not enough melody, but the good news was that it felt authentic to Adam and something he’d play in his own shows. Although maybe it’s one he’d put in the middle of an hour-long set.

Dalton Rapattoni (“Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol) - * * * * ½

All too often the word “theatrical” has a bad rap on competition shows. It’s usually meant to mean overacted or indulgent, which really bugs me, a proud theater geek. But Dalton is theatrical in all the right ways. You could easily picture Dalton in Rent or American Idiot or one of those rock musicals. His “Rebel Yell” was well arranged and so confidently performed. He knows exactly what he’s doing.

Olivia Rox (“Confident” by Demi Lovato) - * * * *

While I would have rather had Olivia stay in acoustic guitar land instead of stumbling into rock star mode halfway through, there is no denying that she is a powerhouse vocalist with great control and a killer rock tone. She’ll get more comfortable on stage and figure out exactly what kind of artist she’d like to be soon enough, but Olivia is well on her way.

Best of the night: Dalton

Worst of the night: Manny