Lauren's windpower questioned; Scotty's tonsils impoverished

[koganbot]

Just posted this on Rolling Country about the Alaina-Scotty final on AI:



To my surprise, Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina are the last two standing on American Idol. I was sure that James Durbin would win it, he being a mediocre rocker with enthusiastic performing, just what's won the last few years. Think Lauren sings with vastly more life, subtlety, and passion than Scotty; but I also think I mischaracterized her a little upthread when I said she had a big blustery voice. I think she has a big blustery talent, but the voice isn't big enough yet for all the bluster, and she often goes for wallop she can't reach. Scotty's got a strong love-man demeanor and wants richness that his tonsils lack, though he's nice to listen to on a talent show. The out-of-character "Candle In The Wind" is still the best thing Lauren did. A weak field, so the overreaching sexpot Haley Reinhart reached third and to my surprise occasionally grabbed what she was grasping for, "House Of The Rising Sun" in particular being a song to reward all that stretching.

I also posted a country singles 2011 top 10, which unfortunately included Aaron Lewis.

Comments

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

which unfortunately included Aaron Lewis.

Really? Have you written about this one? I found it fascinating but awful.

[koganbot]

Only what I posted on Rolling Country. I find the song's politics offensively ignorant and the social posturing fourth-rate in comparison to similar but first-rate posturing by Montgomery Gentry and Eric Church; the tensions within the posture fascinate me always, based as it is on the assumption that one can be compromised and destroyed. The singing and sound are way better than fourth-rate.