April 29, 2008 8:05 PM

I am (not impressed) I said

It is Neil Diamond week on American Idol, with the five remaining singers trying to master the music one of the most prolific songwriters of the last half of the 20th century.
Great music. Mixed bag of performances.
Diamond seemed a bit wary during the video clips of him coaching the singers, as if this was some sort of community service assigment. Yet he always ended with something complimentary to say. He's a pro.
For the first time this season, the contestants got to sing two songs each. Theoretically, if they messed up on one they could redeem themselves.
Jason Castro started off with Forever in Bluejeans, which would seem a perfect, hippie-flavored tune for him. The trouble is, it had a coffee house quality to it. There was no authenticity to his delivery.
He did much better on September Morn, investing it with a heartfelt quality that made you believe that he believed in the lyrics.
I thought David Cook had a rare stumble with his songs: the uptempo rocker I'm Alive and the mid tempo All I Really Need Is You. The fact that neither are among Diamond's better known songs meant Cook could try something different. He didn't. Still, the judges nearly wet themselves with praise.
Brooke White surprised me with her version of I'm A Believer. For the first time this season, the girl showed that she could rock out.
She was even better on I Am I Said, investing it with a vulnerable, plaintive quality that no doubt stemmed from Simon Cowell likening her first performance to a "nightmare." I'm beginning to think she's the dark horse here.
David Archuleta brought a bubblegum sensibility to Sweet Caroline that wasn't at all unpleasant. His second song, America, seemed way too big for him. Not for his voice, mind you, but thematically. He's a 17-year-old singing about immigrants pouring into the country. Sorry, but there was a disconnect for me.
Syesha Mercado proved sweet and melodic on Hello Again, then wrapped things up with Thank the Lord for the Night time. I'd never heard of it either.
But it revealed one of Syesha's increasing strengths: Range. She flitted around the stage with the confidence of a seasoned R&B singer. Impressive.
Now that the end is in sight (May 21), the judges are getting a bit snarkier. All except for Paula Abdul, who doesn't seem to know where she is half the time.
At one point Tuesday she critiqued two performances by Jason Castro when he'd only sang one song. Do you ever get the feeling that her dressing room is padded?
I'm a big Neil Diamond fan, so I was rooting for all the singers Tuesday night.
I took my mother to a Neil Diamond concert 20 years ago and the woman still hasn't recuperated.
We can be having an argument today and all I have to do is mention that show and she begins smiling like a WalMart greeter on a lithium drip.
Which of the five singers stumbled Tuesday? I'd have to say that Jason Castro was the weakest link.
Goodbye?

Posted by Mike Pearson at 8:05 PM | Comments (1)