Manhattan Chowder, Back in the Big Apple

It took a lot to muster some enthusiasm for the remaining contestants, especially after watching Carly Smithson do the post-Idol talk show circuit this week. Few of the singers left have the vocal chops Carly has and fewer still are as exciting a performer as she is. That said, I wasn't exactly thrilled to hear they were each going to sing two songs. Two Neil Diamond songs. Truth be told, I waited till the show was over and watched it on DVR fast forwarding through all the inane comments and interviews right to the performances. Here are my picks from best to worst.

David Archuletta--"Sweet Caroline" and "America" There is joy in his performances. You could tell he loved singing "Sweet Caroline" and it showed on his face and in the vocals. One note of criticism though: he riffed on the melody too soon. Rule of thumb, only riff after you've sung it straight once. We know the song, we like it, we want to hear the version we know. "America" could certainly have worked against him. It's overdone and reminds me of so much cruise ship work. That said, he took it and ran with it. His vocals were spot on and he gave it an original spin. It was an exciting performance. Very good.

Syesha--"Hello Again" and "Thank the Lord for the Night Time" Like any good student of Musical Theatre Syesha chose a ballad and an up-tempo. They both showed her off nicely. She is a beautiful singer. Unlike most of the other performers, she seems to grow every week. Also, she is not afraid to show some vulnerability and doesn't feel the need to hide behind a musical instrument. She did well with the second song, too, but I felt it was just a little bit safe. (I couldn't help imagining some one like Fantasia tearing up the stage with that song.) But even her safe performance beats the pants off some of the other singers.

David Cook. "I'm Alive" and "All I Really Need is You" David had an advantage in that vocally his style is not unlike Neil Diamond's. That said, I wasn't crazy about the first song. It was fine, just okay. By the second song he was back to the David that has gotten him this far in the competition. He completely rocked it. And as is always the case when David is at his best, he found his own voice with this performance--even if that voice is a bit shouted at times.

Brooke White--"I'm a Believer" LAME. Brooke turns in another amateur performance. And if there was ever a song not to be stuck behind a guitar it's this one. A missed opportunity and her inability to recognize that shows that her instincts as a performer are poor. "I am, I said" This was the best performance Brooke has turned in in weeks. She was wise to personalize the song. She seemed vulnerable, invested. But still, her vocals are only so good.

Jason Castro--"Forever in Blue Jeans", "September Morn" This kid is so out of his element at this point in the competition it's kind of sad. He doesn't seem invested at all, indeed, he seems to be pleading with the audience to cut him from the show. Boring, milquetoast, uninspired--for both songs.

Who Should Go: Jason. Please put this kid out of his misery.

UPDATE: Finally some justice--Brooke goes home. But how, how, how does Jason make it another week without being in the bottom two??? Never underestimate the power of the tween voting bloc I guess.