Idol's Last Twelve offer up Hit's & Misses

March 3, 9:38 PMRock Music ExaminerSteven Douglas Losey

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Lil Round's Vocals were Over the Top

The hits and misses of this years Idol crop has me scratching my head of the watered down 2009 season. There have been several stellar moments and performances but at the same time a whole lot of horrendous performances and song choices have made their their way into the competition.

 On the siomonized side there was Alex Wagner-Trugman singing Elton John's "That's Why They Call it the Blues." The self professed geek is likable and endearing but Roger Daltrey he's not. The song choice was odd and odder was his dancing and forced rock staging. The performance fell flat.

It's obvious that Nathaniel Marshall is a passionate, emotional vocalist. at the right place and at the right time he could be a legitimate vocalist but tonight wasn't the moment. Singing Meatloaf's "I Would Do Anything For Love," Marshall came across as a cast member of High School Musical in an OFF Broadway production.

Seventeen year olds Taylor Vaifanua and Arianna Afsar were completely forgettable in both instances. Cowell chimed in with 'boring' and 'terrible.'  Each contestant sang songs that didn't suggest youth, vitality, or being young and fell flat.

On the plus side tonight and my picks for top three include Ju'not Joyner, Scott MacIntyre,Jorge Nunez and Lil Rounds. Joyner's rendition of the Plain White T's "Delilah" was a knock out. Giving the song loads of soul and sex appeal Joyner's performance caused judge Kara DioGuardi to proclaim that he had 'ridiculous pipes.' Keyboardist Scott MacIntyre sang  "Mandolin Rain" from Bruce Hornsby and the Range. You can tell that MacIntyre's comfortableness is forced without the keys but his performance gained momentum as he sang, causing the Idol audience to cheer well into the judges comments. Jorge Nunez is one genuine cat, even shedding an emotional tear as the judges applauded his version of Elton John's "Don't let the Sun Go Down On Me." Nunez could be a dark horse in the com[petition coming off as likable, genuine and definitely a man living his dream. Lastly, Lil Rounds knocked it out of the park bringing the sass with Mary J. Blige. Rounds not only looked like a star but she sounded like she was singing the first single from a platinum album. Her presence brings an absolute pro sounding singer into an amateur competition.