Jumping right in with Gina. Which sounds sort of fun.

Er. Yeah. Anyway, hated her performance tonight. It sounded like a bad cover band and even her cute red dress couldn’t save it. She definitely succumbed to the screaming instead of singing problem that seems to hit most American Idol singers at some time or another--that desire to show off the voice and the range fuels (as this cat pointed out in a post that I half agree with) loud, tuneless singing valued more for volume than aesthetic value.

Randy’s suggestion that a Heart song is somehow “edgy” just goes to show that these people don’t know rock music. Edgy? In what world is a Heart pop song edgy?

Alaina sings “I’m Not Ready to Make Nice” which disqualifies her from my own personal ballot on a number of levels: I hate the song, she doesn’t do it particularly well, and it seems a bit a little odd to sing it on dedication night. I wasn’t watching the “up close and personal” segment so I missed the rationale behind the song, though, so maybe there was some good reason for the pick. Her end of song soulful glance was just goofy, she was off through the whole song, and she sounded like she lost her breath midway through. And then, of course, I am a Republican, so anything Dixie Chicks related is forbidden.

I am more convinced than ever, though, that she’s there for looks not talent.

A big voice and a big presence (no fat jokes, please) are LaKisha’s gift and a considerable part of the reason I disagree with Mr. Hater that I linked above. Big, powerful voices aren’t a bad thing as long as they are wielded by someone with the ability to carry a tune instead of just yelling the lyrics. Lakisha is just such a talent--and it may stem from my love of old school gospel of the Mahalia Jackson school (listen to her song “In the Upper Room” for a good example). Anyway, Simon nails it: LaKisha isn’t quite as good as she was last week, but she was still very good.

Melinda’s take on “My Funny Valentine” was also a step back from her performance last year. She tried to do a little too much with the song instead of just singing the thing. The judges love it, but I think she would have been better with a more reserved take that lets us enjoy the beauty of her voice--and it is a beautiful voice. I understand why they love it--and I can honestly say that I liked it--but I still say she could have been far better.

Seriously, folks, Antonella continues to prove that breasts and legs are more important than talent. Sure, she can hit some high notes, but she’s also off-pitch and has a generally ugly voice. It’s not a pleasant sounding voice even when she hits the notes. Literally the best thing about her is the rear view--which may sound crass but I’m tired and not feeling particularly nice. Add her snotty attitude to the lack of talent and you have one of the most irritating contestants to come along in a long time.

Good God America, send this talentless little girl home.

Jordin Sparks oversings her song, too, which is a damned shame because she has a gorgeous voice. She seems such the opposite of Antonella--warm personality, strong vocals, and a lot of potential for the future. Not as good as last week, but so much more worthy than someone like Antonella.

Nose-pickin’ aside: Dig the cute video.

Cute is a good descriptive term for Stephanie Edwards, too. A unique vocal with good moments, I still couldn’t get into the song. She’s distinctive, though, and has a great stage presence--I can’t imagine that she did herself any harm with that performance.

I really enjoyed the intro to Leslie Hunt’s “Feelin’ Good"--it was warm, restrained, and very pretty. Then she went and screwed it up. Her attempt at scat wasn’t successful and everything after the a cappella part was overdone by a big bit. I love her spirit and her style and in those quieter moments I even like her voice but she isn’t up to the talent of some of the others.

Haley Scarnato isn’t really my cup of clichéd tea, either. I’m not overly fond of her voice or her singing style and her personality doesn’t stand out. She’s one of the least memorable of the bunch. Simon’s “manic verging on insane” performance comment wasn’t dead on, but she’s not a good singer. Which, considering the thousands of people who were rejected, is a little surprising. I mean, you would think that the final dozen women would be impressive as hell; instead, most of them are marginal, a couple aren’t even close to professional, and then a few actually have serious potential.

Guess which of those categories Sabrina Sloan’s pitchy, wavering voice might fall into? The judges like her, but I don’t (on her talent, at least). Simon: “Don’t confuse power with shouting.” Yep.

It wasn’t as impressive as last week for the women, but give LaKisha the tip for the best of the night.