American Idol 10 – Top 6 Pay Tribute to Carole King

Tonight’s theme is Carole King. She is a prolific singer/songwriter so there really should be something for everyone here tonight. Though I have a little trepidation for Scotty and Jacob this evening, I am excited to see what the kids will bring tonight. Her songs really hold up – so that should bode well. Along with Jimmy Iovine they have Babyface as a mentor. They will also be singing a solo as well as a duet.

Jacob Lusk – Oh No, Not My Baby (Maxine Brown) – the start was shaky for me – but when the band kicks in, he finds his groove. His falsetto was not perfect tonight but I loved his plaid jacket and his letting loose on the stage. He needs to bring in the duet because this was not the best song choice, nor was it the best performance – but he did have fun.

Lauren Alaina - Where You Lead (I Will Follow) (Gilmore Girls Theme) – Hannah Montana sighting…Miley probably wanted to kill Lauren since she did such a great job on The Climb last week. She really countrified this song. I was not super happy with the arrangement – but Lauren is in the pocket and handles the performance well. She was “screamy” in a few places, but overall it was a nice performance.

AMERICAN IDOL: Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart perform a duet on AMERICAN IDOL airing Wednesday, April 27, (8:00-9:30- PM ET/PT) on FOX. CR: Michael Becker / FOX.

Haley and Casey – I Feel the Earth Move – technically viewers won’t be voting for these duet performances – but if people connect with it, it may give them a boost in votes. Casey is a much stronger singer than Haley and it is really evident in this performance. I got a blah feeling overall.

Scotty McCreery – You’ve Got A Friend (James Taylor) – this is the best song that he could have chosen. He is a little wonky in bits and it was not the perfect performance, but there were some excellent moments (the harmony with his backing vocalist) here and he will be safe. I felt like the staging was a little forced – but he worked his way through it. This kid is going to be country gold.

James Durbin – Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (The Shirelles) – my mom said this is the best performance that she has heard tonight and I think I have to agree with her. The acapella beginning that ramps into a great groove. He overdoes it a bit towards the end – but overall a very good performance. I would download this one.

Lauren and Scott – Up On The Roof (The Drifters) – In the package an interviewer asks Lauren how they complement each other…she says he never compliments me. That there is a classic homophone issue – look it up. Lauren is much stronger than Scotty. The pacing of the song is also much too slow. This was an average performance. Good thing they both performed earlier in the evening.

Casey Abrams - Hi-De-Ho (Blood, Sweat and Tears) – not at all familiar with this song, and I have to say that I was not a fan. He seemed to be channeling Dr. John, but in the wrong way. I will say that the beginning was much better for me than the end was. I am still a fan – but he may be seeing the light at the end tunnel…and its a freight train.

Haley Reinhart – Beautiful – by the time they get to her on the stage, she is having some technical difficulties with her in ear bud. I have never heard this particular song though I like quite a few songs from the Tapestry album (this song is from that record). She took Jimmy’s tip and puts lots of stress on the “get” but it was a messy performance. That growl was a bit overwrought.

Jacob and James – I’m Into Something Good (Herman’s Hermits) - I guess these two are the perfect pairing and this super fluffy songs lends itself to their penchant for glory notes and such. They are clearly having a great time and it is a nice way to end the night. There harmony was actually spot on as well. The duet portion of the evening was not super successful, but this one was the most fun!

I wish this was a better night of performances. I have a B-/C+ feeling. Here are my rankings:

1. James Durbin
2. Scotty McCreery
3. Lauren Alaina
4. Jacob Lusk
5. Haley Reinhart
6. Casey Abrams

Crystal Bowersox and Bruno Mars perform tomorrow on the elimination show.