Canadian Idol Top 22: Boyz, week 2

Down to nine guys on Canadian Idol, now that Derek Hoffman and Justyn Wesley have left. I like the idea that the contestants are allowed to use instruments on the part of the show now, though I worry that it might become a crutch for some people. But on to my mini-reviews:

1. Liam Styles Chang
[singing "She's So High" by Tal Bachman, on Tal Bachman (lyrics)]

His tone! His clarity! And that beautiful falsetto! While this performance didn't have the same umph for me as last week, it was still great. Top 10 all the way, baby!


2. Andrew Austin
[singing "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5, on Songs about Jane (lyrics)]

His tone still isn't working for me and the guitar feels more like a crutch than an instrument, but I liked it a little better than his performance last week.

Read more...

3. Dwight D'eon
[singing "Used To Be Alright" by I Mother Earth, on Scenery and Fish (lyrics)]

His lower register works well in the shoutier bits of the song, but not so much in the more musical bits. But I definitely enjoyed it once the pace picked up. I'd like to see him stay around a bit longer.

(I just have to argue with Zack here a bit... How is Dwight the first real rocker on the show?! Are you forgetting someone by the name of Billy Klippert? How was Billy less of a rocker than Dwight. If you mean a specific type of rocker than be specific, but Billy knew how to rock better than anyone on Canadian Idol thus far! End of rant.)

4. Clifton Murray
[singing "You Give Me Something" by James Morrison, on Undiscovered (lyrics)]

Yawn... I'm sorry, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this guy, he's just boring and his tone does nothing at all for me. He's kinda cute, I'll give him that, but that's about all he's got going for him as far as I can tell.

5. Greg Neufeld
[singing "Geek in the Pink" by Jason Mraz, on Mr. A-Z (lyrics)]

"You stay in the pocket like lint." ~ Farley Flex

I'm not exactly sure what Farley means but it sounds good. I have to say that for Greg I felt that the guitar worked, it wasn't just a crutch. And the song was a really good choice for him and just a damn cool song period. He won me over tonight. I want to see him in the Top 10.


Greg Neufeld - Geek in the Pink
Uploaded by regneu
And if you want to compare Greg's version to the original:

6. Brian Melo
[singing "Angels" by Robbie Williams on Ego Has Landed (lyrics)]

Discounting all of the other essentials such as technique, pitch and performance, Brian's voice has my very favourite tone out of all of the men on Canadian Idol this year (with the possible exception of Liam Styles Chang). The song was beautiful and it was a great choice for him. Top 10 material, oh yeah!

7. Jaydee Bixby
[singing "I Got a Woman" by Ray Charles, on The Very Best of Ray Charles (lyrics)]

He's still rockabilly, he's still fine, he's still not for me. But he is choosing the right songs for his voice and staying true to the artist that he is, so kudos for that.

8. Matt Rapley
[singing "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban, on Closer (lyrics)]

There's that lower register that I love. And what a perfect song choice for him, showcasing both his power and his soul. Top 10 here we come!

9. Tyler Mullendore
[singing "Have a Little Faith in Me" by John Hiatt, on Bring the Family (lyrics)]

Sorry to all those Tyler fans out there, but I hate his tone... it hurts my ears. I don't mind him as much when he growls, but that still ain't singing. Why, why, why do the judges like him so?

So at this point, the guys that I would like to see in the Top 10 are: Liam Styles Chang, Dwight D'eon, Greg Neufeld, Brian Melo and Matt Rapley. I doubt I'll get them all, but I think I can at least count on getting Liam. As for the rest, time will tell.

For videos of all of tonight's performance, head over to Idol Stalker.

And my upload for tonight is Jason Mraz' "Geek in the Pink"... check it out in My Music Box.