TOP 7 - APRIL 15/08

Was a better show than I thought it might be. Nobody was really really awful.

DAVID COOK (Always Be My Baby) - I thought David really put himself out there and proved once again what a great musician & singer he is. Songwise - and it's hard to judge a song in 1.50 minutes, but I kept waiting for it to go somewhere. But when it did, he nailed it.

SYESHA (Vanishing) - Syesha proved once again that she has a great voice. I thought she negotiated the song well and did a good job. She's not scared to challenge herself.

CARLY (All By Myself) - I really appreciated that Carly did not oversing this week. I thought she negotiated it well. Still I think her issue is not understanding how to support the big notes and the top notes. You don't do it by going wide and pushing. Unfortunately I don't think she's going to last much longer - she may even go this week - she looks 'mature' and probably doesn't have the same appeal as David A & Jason & Kristy.

DAVID A (When You Believe) - I certainly did NOT like the breathy wispy falsetto and I would recommend that David NOT sing in falsetto at all at this point. Otherwise, it was a heartfelt rendition and yes, he does all those runs that thrill the tweenies.

KRISTY (Forever) - Kristy really surprised me this week, this was the best I ever heard her sing, she had some clear tone and her top notes were solid. I liked how she opened more and sang with less twang. She actually SANG.

JASON (I Don't Wanna Cry) - well, Jason, the least talented singer, actually managed to kinda survive Mariah Carey week. I liked the Latin-folk vibe of the song and I thought he sang it fairly okay.

BROOK (Hero) - unfortunately for Brook I think her nerves continue to get the better of her. I thought her breathing was slightly better this week, but she really needs to work with a good technical voice teacher so she begins to understand how to breathe effectively for singing. Shallow breathing makes us feel off balance and creates insecurity. She was very pitchy on the bridge, up til then I thought it was okay. However, she does sing from the heart.

Although Brook didn't sing her song as well as the others, I predict that Carly will go this week. There's something about her energy, I think she is tired, and I think that the pressure of trying to prove herself is getting to her. IMO she needs to stop thinking 'this is my last chance' cause that's BS. I do think she needs a) some rest, and b) some good vocal coaching to help her break free of where she is.