Some Stars Shine Brighter Than Others

March 17, 10:30 PMRock Music ExaminerSteven Douglas Losey

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Adam Lambert sounds downright spooky. Photo:.Rick Mickshaw/FOX

Randy Travis was in the house tonight for the country version of Idol, his genuineness can be felt and he seemed to really enjoy being able to help the contestants.

Anoop, Anoop, Anoop, you really pleasantly surprised me. Singing Willie Nelson's "Always on my Mind," Desai was easily the evenings shining star. His performance was tender, passionate and beautifully arranged even prompting Simon to say, 'you went from zero to hero!'

Tonight you either loved or hated Adam Lambert, his rendition of Johhny Cash's "Ring of Fire" was eerie. I loved it but I'm pretty sure most of America hated it. He took the song from a major key to a minor key and it sounded like something lifted from alternative radio. Lambert's soaring vocals were everywhere and DioGuardi was practically speechless when it came her turn to comment.

Other performances worthy of note included Matt Giraud. He sang Carrie Underwood's "So Small" to a wildly cheering house. Giraud's rendition was Coldplay meets country and his piano melodies were brilliant.

Equally impressive were the vocals of Kris Allen. his version of Garth Brook's "Make you Feel My Love" was stirring. Vocally the cut was transparent with emotional peaks and valleys, which is exactly what you want a ballad to have.

A few misses from the night would have to include a fairly generic performance by Lil Rounds and a very average song by Michael Sarver, both rated fairly forgettable on the night.