AMERICAN IDOL Recap: It's Time For America To Pull The Plug (Updated w/ Pictures)

On this week's Top-6 edition of AMERICAN IDOL Season XIII, we were "treated" to not one, but two, songs by each competitor. The theme, "A Little Bit Country, a Little Bit Rock 'n' Roll" gave the contestants an opportunity to channel their inner Donnys and Maries. Speaking of the beloved Osmond sibs, nothing about them screams either Country or Rock 'n Roll to me. But I digress; in most cases tonight, the double your pleasure set-up resulted in an extra helping of awesome, but (as is expected from this season) there was one singer whose combined performances resulted in confusion with a side of frustration.

While the two-songs-a-piece idea, at times, left something to be desired, I will take that over the insufferable duets (and trios) of the last few weeks any day, especially Wednesdays. The double performances also seemingly left less time for the endless judges' mugging we have been increasingly subjected to in recent weeks (not that it was completely gone).

Now, onto the performances:

Jena Irene Rock Performance
"Barracuda" by Heart
Three-Word Review: That You Ann?

Based on the comments in the results-episode recap from last week, it is clear that not everyone feels the same way about Jena as I do. I agree with Jennifer Lopez that she deserves to be the season's frontrunner. She has not delivered a bad performance yet, and only continues to impress each time out. While she didn't venture far off the original track, Jena delivered a vocal that, in my Heart-loving opinion, equaled that of the great Ann Wilson (sacrilege, I know!). Also, along with her prom date Caleb, she is one of the few contestants that has any sense of stage presence. Sam and Jessica especially could learn a lot by watching her perform.

Random Appearance Alert: I have no idea who R5 is, but apparently Ryan Seacrest thinks they are important enough to waste airtime on. Who wants to bet that their record label has a business connection to IDOL?

Sam Woolf Rock Performance
"It's Time" by Imagine Dragons
Three-Word Review: Bond, Boring Bond

The song started out promising for me. Capitalizing on what worked well last week, we heard a bit of a brighter tone from Sam on this one. Unfortunately, this song also brought about the first intonation issues I have heard from him this season. The judges clearly are trying to push him, because they all praised his performance tonight, but the only difference I saw between this week and his boring other performances was that he learned how to squeeze his eyes closed really tightly. Also, why was the James Bond spiral logo on the jumbotron behind him?

Peak Behind the Curtain Alert: When critiquing Sam, Harry Connick Jr. said that he was a sweet, shy kid, which everyone seems to echo. But then the two-time Tony-nominee threw in "even though we've never met." Obviously they have been working together on some level for months, but does this mean that Harry and Sam have never had an off-camera conversation?

C.J. Harris Rock Performance
"American Woman" by The Guess Who
Three-Word Review: I Give Up

As I said last week, it is probably better for our health and well-being if we just give up hoping that C.J. is ever going to sing an entire 90 second song segment completely (or even mostly?) in tune. Once we have removed the shackles of remedial expectations, it is easier to understand why America seemingly loves C.J. Despite not being thought of as a rocker, his trademarked growl fit this song well, and he has perfected the "emotional" eye-squint that Sam is still attempting to learn. I can't imagine him not being on my "In Danger" list this week, but this was better than some of his recent performances, I guess.

Alex Preston Rock Performance
"Animal" by Neon Trees
Three-Word Review: Had to Happen

This was an interesting song for me. I've been beating the Alex drum for a while. I love his creativity and overall vibe. That being said, I've been hoping that he would give us something that wasn't Jason Mraz/Jack Johnson mellow for a while, and this definitely did that. However, that extra energy and fun forced Alex to the upper levels of his register (somewhere he hasn't spent much time this season), and it wasn't always great. It started pretty spot-on, but the constant jumping up and down in his register from chorus to verse took its toll. Alex doesn't miss very often, so you figure it had to happen eventually; I'm just glad that he has another song tonight to redeem himself a bit.

Caleb Johnson Rock Performance
"Sting Me" by The Black Crowes
Three-Word Review: Hello Ned Schneebly

I have no idea if Caleb has any interest in acting, but if there are any Broadway producers out there looking for a lead to their stage adaptation of "School of Rock," look no further for your Jack Black stand-in. Caleb took a song that only 13 people have even thought about in the last 22 years, and brought down the house. Whether it was his ridiculous high notes, having to knee-slide to get his mic mid-song, or worshipping at the feet of his backup singers, Caleb is a Rock 'n' Roll showman. I don't know if he will resonate with a modern audience, but this dude is the complete package.

Jessica Meuse Rock Performance
"Somebody to Love" by Jefferson Airplane
Three-Word Review: Closed My Eyes

I have figured out what it is that is keeping me from jumping on the Jessica train. I believe that she has a medical condition that has severed the connection between her voice and her eyes. That song sounded as if she was rocking out and shredding the stage, however... (as I was typing this thought Keith Urban said nearly the exact same thing)... when they showed her face, her eyes were as blank as ever. She did throw in the occasional eyebrow raise, but I think that might have been a tick. I actually think that she believes that her stare is seductive; that she is "making love to the camera." Unfortunately, that ain't working, but fortunately for her, her voice is.

Sam Woolf Country Performance
"You're Still the One" by Shania Twain
Three-Word Review: What Just Happened?

Sam busted out the squint again in this song, but that did nothing to diminish the fact that this was probably his strongest performance all season. Whether it was his interacting with the fangirls in the pit, a lovely lullaby vocal, or taking a few melodic liberties, this was a bit of a revelation for Sam. I really enjoyed this performance, and for the first time I saw an artist capable of commanding a stage.

SUPER Random Appearance Alert: If you thought Terry Bradshaw showing up last week was weird, imagine your surprise when they came back from commercial break and Seacrest was holding Grumpy Cat... yes the most ubiquitous internet feline has now taken over network television as well.

Caleb Johnson Country Performance
"Undo It" by Carrie Underwood
Three-Word Review: Watch Out Carrie

There was nearly nothing recognizable as country in Caleb's performance, but what this song did was answer my question from his first song. "Undo It" made Caleb seem completely believable as a modern artist. I never would have thought that a Carrie Underwood song would be able to do that, but he was able to add his personal flair to a song that didn't give him a lot of opportunities to hold out his patented high notes, and he surprisingly made the "Uh-Uh-Uhuh" sections believable (no small feat). He's only the second performer to finish both songs for the night, but he's gonna be tough to top.

Keith Not Paying Attention Again Alert: Something might have gotten lost in the translation from his native Australian, but I believe Mr. Kidman just told Caleb that he was looking forward to his country song later in the night... Uh, Keith...

Alex Preston Country Performance
"Always on My Mind" by Willie Nelson
Three-Word Review: Rodman of Idol

Who would have thunk that a Willie Nelson song would be the opportunity Alex needed to get back into his singer-songwriter groove? Like Caleb, Alex removed all tinges of countriness from the song, and turned it into a haunting ballad of loss and regret. That is what he does best, and this was a fantastic way to rebound from a subpar earlier performance.

Jena Irene Country Performance
"So Small" by Carrie Underwood
Three-Word Review: Awash In Jena

I didn't have a stopwatch on it, but I think that the director kept the camera on JLo more during that song than on Jena (especially the first half). Like the previous two singers, Jena chose to interpret the song with as little country influence as possible. While there were a few bum notes mixed in, Jena's vocal was spectacular. Jennifer hit the nail on the head; it was as if the band faded away and we were awash in Jena's voice. I'm sure there will be those out there who think this is going a bit too far, but I think there is something special in her.

C.J. Harris Country Performance
"Whatever It Is" by Zac Brown Band
Three-Word Review: Ok, It's Time

I get that people feel a special kinship with C.J., and that connection has propelled him into the Top-6, but enough is enough America. This could have been one of the most painful performances on IDOL since Lazaro. There was nearly nothing resembling the actual notes in this performance. If C.J. survives this week's elimination we might as well hand him the title now, because if he can get through this performance unscathed, there literally would be nothing that could stop him.

Jessica Meuse Country Performance
"Jolene" by Dolly Parton
Three-Word Review: I Get It

There really is no one better suited for this theme than Jessica. We have seen her blur the line between rock and country throughout the season, and she did that with great results on "Jolene." With a more rocking downbeat than you normally hear on the song, there was definitely a heavier sensibility to the song. That is not to say that Jessica's performance was improved by it. This was a typical Jessica performance; strong vocal, no visible emotional connection in her performance. That being said, her voice is growing on me... as long as my eyes are closed.

Should Be Bottom-Two
C.J. Harris
I refuse to pick a second person to fill this slot until C.J. is eliminated. There is no one that even approaches his level of needing-to-go-homeness.

Should Be Eliminated
C.J. Harris

Best of the Night
Caleb Johnson

Alright, this time on Thursday, we will have our Season XIII Top-5. Who has to be included? Did you see the night the same way I did? Or am I being too hard on America's Sweetheart, C.J.? Let me know if the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt.

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