The Top 9 Guys Lose Their
Footing On Canadian Idol 4

With such a strong showing last week, the guys of Canadian Idol 4 had something major to live up to this week. Unfortunately, they didn't come close to their previous greatness. The talent pool remains strong, and the major problem this week had nothing to do with vocal problems, but rather with poor, uninspired song choices. With so many great male voices this year, it's really more important than ever that each guy choose a great song for himself.

Following is the It's Destiny! panel's take on the CI4 Semi-Finals Round 2: The Guys.

Greg Neufeld "Rocket Man"
Tammy: It's a lower key Greg Neufeld this week, which allows his vocals to shine. He may have toned it down a bit too much, however, as his energy was a bit lacking during the performance. Overall, a pretty good job.
Score: 8.6
Liza: The energy was lacking and his vocal range was lacking. Greg continues to pick good and smart choices, but this one was way too safe, and he chickened out on those high notes that Elton John does in the original, so it turned into a fairly average performance. Greg has a very nice voice and held that long note at the end quite effortlessly (and he's quite pretty), so he should be okay to advance, but he needs to step it up as the competition progresses.
Score: 7.2
Destiny: I agree with you both. He looked and sounded good, but the performance was not inspired in the least.
Score: 7.5

Tyler Lewis "Mama, I'm Coming Home"
Tammy: What an odd (also known as bad) song choice. This song never really got off the ground for me. Who is this song supposed to appeal to? Tyler is better than this song. Hopefully it doesn't cost him.
Score: 6.9
Liza: I never would have thought anyone would sing an Ozzy song on Idol, but was that really Ozzy? Seemed more like Fozzie Bear. Just kidding. I would have preferred to hear "Iron Man", but that would have been a disaster. Heh. All kidding aside, I actually liked this. Tyler has a very interesting and rich voice. He just needs to work on the stompy stage mannerisms.
Score: 8.0
Destiny: Yes, Tyler has a very strong voice, but he lacks any sort of stage presence. This song choice was boring. I'm with Tammy- to whom was that supposed to appeal?
Score: 7.0

Chris Labelle "We Shall Be Free"
Tammy: Canada, I blame you for this. He's still working the FauxHoggard vibe, and this week is stealing a page from the book of J.D. Fortune with the toss of monopoly money. He's doing his best to distract you from the fact that his singing is pretty mediocre. Please. Let this week be his last.
Score: 4.0
Liza: Chris is so not edgy (How not edgy is he?!) that I first compared his money stunt to little Chauncey from American Juniors, who sprinkled glitter out of his pocket onstage while singing "Moon River". And since this week's theme seemed to be all about knowing who you are as an artist, how the heck are we supposed to know what Chris is? That was like one big mish-mash of different styles. You've got country and gospel in the song, soft rock in singing voice, punk rock in style. Farley hit it dead-on. Chris is most definitely "a smoke and mirrors guy".
Score: 5.5
Destiny: I still don't buy Chris' act, but he did put it all out there on the stage, which the two contestants before him failed to do. This week and last he has sounded much better than he did in the audition rounds, although his voice is still nothing particularly special. He just does nothing for me, but I do admire his effort.
Score: 7.0

Craig Sharpe "This I Promise You"
Tammy: Craig performed well enough to move forward in the competition. The quality of his voice remains constant. There is still nothing about him that really makes the viewer sit up and take notice, however.
Score: 7.7
Liza: The song choice is a bit gag-inducing, but it's appropriate for someone like Craig. First of all, he sounds like Chris Kirkpatrick. Second of all, he screams boy band, right down to that wretched head snap. I'm just waiting for the day he goes Peter Brady on us. But until then, his voice still has that purity to it that makes for a lovely, albeit slightly boring, performance.
Score: 7.5
Destiny: I think this was a fantastic song choice for Craig. The connection to N'SYNC automatically swayed the listener to think of Craig as masculine, which is something he desperately needed. He also looked much better this week in terms of his outfit and hair. Keep going in that direction, Craig. The thing that stood out the most, though, in this performance is his incredible tone. Unlike Tammy, I think that alone is what makes the viewer sit up and take notice and will probably be enough to keep Craig in this competition for a long time.
Score: 8.5

Sheldon Elter "Moondance"
Tammy: A definite improvement from last week, Sheldon sang this song about as well as he could. He still hasn't established himself as anything more than an 'also ran' at this point. A dated song choice such as "Moondance" probably isn't going to do anything to change that.
Score: 7.9
Liza: I really like Sheldon's voice (and I guess I must really like Billy Joel's voice because I could swear it was Billy Joel doing Van Morrison up there), but I agree with you, Tammy. His song choices are not going to inspire the power-voting tweens to pick up the phone and call. If the geriatric bunch voted, though, look out!
Score: 7.8
Destiny: I agree about this being another poor song choice. Sheldon, like most of the males this season, is a very strong vocalist, but he needs to work on connecting with the audience, both in the studio and through the camera. Besides seeming like a nice guy, Sheldon is not giving the viewers anything to connect to and or vote for.
Score: 7.5

Chad Doucette "Save The Last Dance"
Tammy: There is something about this boy that is so infinitely likeable. While his singing wasn't all that impressive this week as he mumbled his lyrics and he besieged me to fall for his dreamy cuteness with a suggestive wiggle of the eyebrows, it still made for a fun performance.
Score: 8.1
Liza: I actually liked his vocals better tonight on a technical level because he lost some of his Muppet-y sounds. He was really channeling the Buble and the Hoggard tonight. I do appreciate his brand of entertaining so much more than Chris Labelle's, but Chad really needs to be careful not to be accused of copying Jacob.
Score: 8.3
Destiny: Whew! I love this guy! His voice is so appealing, it just draws me in and makes me want to hear more, more, more. Add to that, his inviting personality and stage presence. This guy needs to stick around for the duration of the competition.
Score: 8.8

Rob James "Heaven"
Tammy: With a song like "Heaven" Rob is able to show skills which many of his other, less-seasoned competitors are lacking. A subdued and emotional performance which delivered on every level. I have a sinking feeling that Canada still won't be buying what he is selling, however.
Score: 8.9
Liza: If Canada bought Eva's "Angel", which was lauded for being simple and understated, I don't see why they wouldn't buy Rob's "Heaven" other than the fact that the voters do not want to vote in someone who has already had a successful music career. I think that faction of voters think it's unfair that he's in the competition, and that the competition should be exclusively for finding the greatest undiscovered talent. Well, I think talent should supersede undiscovered. And this guy has talent, plain and simple. End rant.
Score: 8.0
Destiny: Talent or no talent, discovered or undiscovered, Rob still remains much too nervous while performing. I can't relax and take in what he is delivering, because I'm too worried about how nervous he is, and I'm focused on whether he's going to botch the performance as a result. I think Jake gave him much too much credit by saying that he didn't come off as nervous, but rather unassuming.
Score: 8.0

Brandon Jones "Somebody To Love"
Tammy: Another baffling song choice. Choosing an anthemic rock song to sing on a night when piano accompaniment is your only option? Oof. Bad idea. Brandon could not, and did not, pull off that song, but probably wasn't deserving of some of the harsher comments from the judges. I see a sympathy vote in his future.
Score: 6.2
Liza: I thought Brandon sang that fairly well (in relation to how I expected him to do, which was horribly), but I have a sneaking suspicion that all of this is calculated and affected, as Jake said. It seems like he's looking at what has done well on Idol and trying to do it the same way. In the auditions, it was "Hemorrhage" after Chris Daughtry had introduced it to the show. In Hollywood, he did "Get Here" twice, which is almost as many times as Justin Guarini did on the first season of American Idol. Last week, it was "Lady" done in a similar style to Kalan Porter, including that longing look into the camera at the end. This week it's "Somebody To Love" done with Elliott Yamin-like movements. What's next? Holding up a cigarette lighter while singing "After the Rain"? Windmill arms while singing "Taking It To The Streets"?
Score: 5.5
Destiny: Liza, those are some interesting points. That copying of other people's songs and/or styles is very reminiscent of what teen pop stars have always done, which is to perform something unoriginal yet with such commitment that teens and pre-teens will totally buy it. Brandon has that teen authority found in pop stars and the popular kids in school that makes others his age and younger believe he is cool and edgy, while most adults think otherwise. It is a very interesting dynamic to watch and one that is sure to make Brandon, in the words of Simon Cowell, sail through the competition.
Score: 7.0

Keith Macpherson "Best I Ever Had"
Tammy: Quickly: Keith, tapered pants are not your friend. And while we're at it, neither are argyle sweaters. Vocally, it's hard to find fault with Keith. He knows the songs to pick that emphasize his strengths. A minor quibble: I'm getting a little tired of the 'earnest Keith' face as he sings.
Score: 9.3
Liza: This guy seriously picks great songs and sings them so well and with such honesty. I would like to see a bit more variety from him in the future, though, because right now, the only thing I know he can do is earnest love songs.
Score: 8.8
Destiny: Tammy, your take on the performance seemed so negative, but then you gave him such a high score. Guess that says a lot about Keith's vocal talent. Eventhough I didn't like his version of this song as much as American Idol's Bucky Covington's, the tone of Keith's voice is extremely appealing, and I really enjoy his unassuming personality. However, like my fellow panelists, I would like to see some variety from Keith, just to make sure that he's not a one-trick pony.
Score: 8.5

Who Should Be Eliminated
Tammy: Chris Labelle (please have mercy!), Brandon Jones
Liza: Chris Labelle, Brandon Jones
Destiny: Chris Labelle, Tyler Lewis
Who Will Be Eliminated
Tammy: Rob James, Sheldon Elter
Liza: Rob James, Sheldon Elter (as I shake my fists at Canada)
Destiny: Sheldon Elter, Rob James

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