"American Idol": Reinhart's sun rises, Lusk's sets
This week, with just five remaining, the mentor was Sheryl Crow and two songs had to be sung, one from the past and one from the present. In Scotty McCreery's case, would we be able to tell the difference?
Pictures: "American Idol" Season 10
Special section: "American Idol"
James Durbin began with a 30 Seconds to Mars song, "Closer to the Edge." Yes, a song created by a band led by actor Jared Leto. Durbin decided to bring out his acting skills. He worked the crowd. In fact, he worked it slightly better than he sang. It's not so easy to walk and sing, although somewhat easier than walking and talking to camera. Largely, Durbin's energy got him through, even if his notes came from several destinations.
"I think you kicked that song's ass," said Steven Tyler.
Jackson said Durbin was obviously "in it to win it." Well, actually he didn't. But that was the gist.
Jacob Lusk decided this week to be both Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown. But he neither brought out the girl, nor the boy. The song was called "No Air" and Lusk, unfortunately, choked. There were so many notes that weren't in the original that it made for very difficult listening.
Jennifer Lopez said she had always been unsure who Lusk was. So why hadn't she told him? There's nothing worse than a girl who won't come clean.
Jackson was strangely honest and accurate: "I don't think that's the direction for you. Most of it was sharp. It doesn't wear well."
"I am an artist that appeals to everybody," said Lusk. It's hard enough to be all things to all men. But if your aim is to be all things to all women too, then that's a peak only attempted by Tom Cruise, not always successfully.
Lauren Alaina found confidence and chose Carrie Underwood's "Flat on the Floor". This was safe, competent, absolutely in her emotional and vocal barn. It was even adorned by fetching tassels that flopped away as she sang.
Jackson declared: "Lauren is in it." No, really.
Next was Scotty McCreery. He decided to finally offer something that wasn't drippingly predictable and karaoke-ish. This is all relative, you understand. But it was, at least, something up-tempo - Montgomery Gentry's "Gone."
McCreery, too, chose to walk and sing. What was more peculiar was that he chose to walk and rock. It was perhaps his most convincing performance of the whole competition. Yes, his facial expressions were last seen on a '50s comedy show on the head of some father of five. But at least with this delivery, he was vaguely watchable.
"Up to now you've been like a puritan, you know. But I swear to God I saw you dance with the devil," said the Reverend Steven Tyler.
"I lost it there for a second. I was so excited," said parishioner Lopez.
Jackson said that McCreery was clearly "in it to win it." Do I paraphrase? Regretfully, I quote.
Haley Reinhart was offered an unreleased Lady Gaga song by mentor Jimmy Iovine. How could she say "no"? The song was called "You and I." Reinhart is no Gaga. Indeed, she laid the song down on plenty of flat notes, though she did manage to offer some growling, grinding and bumping. Reinhart's problem is not that she offers bluesy smokiness. It's that sometimes she sounds like a very young girl offering bluesy smokiness. Somehow innocence and the blues don't always make for perfect bedfellows.
"I'm just not sure that was the best advice Jimmy gave you," said a curiously critical Lopez.
Jackson said that she should have done something familiar. Because this show was originally named "Superior Youth Karaoke", after all. Well, he didn't say that last part. He didn't say that she was "in it to win it" either.
And then, James Durbin cried. Nilsson's "Without You" was the song and, in rehearsal, it got to him to the degree that he totally broke down. He barely held it together when he had to sing it on stage. Again, the power that Durbin gave to the ending masked the uncertainty of some of the notes. At the end, he cried again.
Tyler borrowed a word from Jackson's huge and meaningful lexicon. He said it was "pitchy."
Jackson himself declared: "It wasn't perfect. But it was emotionally perfect." This was before he said that Durbin was "American's Heartsob." Alright, maybe he didn't say that. That would have been too original.
Iovine didn't want Jacob Lusk to perform any more Luther Vandross, any more gospel. He wanted him to sing something not from Jesus, but from Nazareth: "Love Hurts." Lusk admitted he was nervous. In fact for some weeks, Lusk has seemed to be in the kind of pain people feel after gall bladder complications.
"You gotta do something that's gonna spread your audience," said Iovine.
Lusk had a harp, some brass and some singers to help him spread the pain. He meandered through it with little conviction, but he squeezed out a big finish.
Lopez described it as "really good," in a way one could translate as "not really good."
In the audience, Sir Anthony Hopkins applauded politely. However, Jackson said: "You redeemed yourself with this one. That might have been the highest note ever sung on this stage."
Lauren Alaina sang her mom and dad's song, "Unchained Melody." Alaina came out in a long dress last worn, perhaps, by Joan Collins. Or Joan of Arc. She left with long applause ringing in her ears.
Contemporary, it wasn't. Perfectly sung, it was. Instead of reaching for extremes, Alaina gave an unusually subtle take on something everyone has heard before.
"Nothing to judge there," said Lopez.
Jackson borrowed some meaningful words from Tyler: "This girl can sing like a bird." But is she a bird that's in it to win it? Perhaps.
Scotty McCreery's second song was "Always On My Mind". He is certainly on the mind of many a pre-pubescent who knows nothing of this song, nor of Elvis. This was safe, predictably dreary McCreery. Which means that the little screamers and dreamers will have loved it.
Lopez described him as a "well-rounded artist". Jackson told him: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Which might be translated as "If you ain't in it, you can't win it."
Haley Reinhart ended the night with "The House of the Rising Sun." She began bandless, looking for all the world like a very young Sheryl Crow.
Then she injected some rasp, some walking, and some, you know, sexy moving. Reinhart also managed to deliver a beguiling series of vocal nuances that made it the best performance of the night. The judges stood to applaud.
Then Jackson, bulging with excitement, talked about people slaying it "like they really want to win this." Finally, a different phrasing of the same thought.
"Sweet and sour, raspy. I can really relate to that," said Tyler.
At the end of it all, there was exhaustion. Lopez declared that for once she was glad it wasn't up to her. Lusk, though, must have felt that his chance for being in it to win it might have gone.
TOP ONE: Haley Reinhart
BOTTOM ONE: Jacob Lusk
