Real Kato Blog: American Idol 2008 Week 1: The Guys

Here we go.

David Hernandez: 4.0
"Midnight Hour". It's not a bad vocal, but his facial expressions are weird, and it's a little cheesy. Ooh, really bad note at the end. And he didn't get past his major weakness, which is the tendency to be bland. I give him a 5. Amy gives him a 3.

Chikezie Eze: 2.0
"I Love You More Today Than Yesterday". Sounds nervous, and awfully pitchy. It's bad karaoke... oh, he's Isaac the Bartender and Don "No-Soul" Simmons combined. I give him a 3. Amy gives him a 1.

David Cook: 2.0
"Happy Together". Good personality. Very pitchy. Weird loungy interpretation of this song. Not one note is on key. I give him a 2. Amy gives him a 2.

Jason Yeager: 4.0
Also a good personality; good life story too. Oh no, he's sitting down. "Moon River"? He's a crooner? It's not terrible vocally; just old-fashioned. I give him a 6. Amy gives him a 2 (for song selection).

Robbie Carrico: 7.0
"One". A little pitchy, but a good song choice for him, maybe. Not doing too much with it, but it's not bad. I give him a 7. Amy gives him 7.

David Archuleta: 5.5
"You Better Shop Around". It's out of his range. It's very cabaret. Not terrible. Voice cracked once. It's just okay. He'll be popular with the kids. I give him a 6. Amy gives him a 5.

Danny Noriega: 2.5
"Jailhouse Rock". It's not the nightmare I expected... he's somehow pulling off this song. We thought he would come out, poncy, and he didn't. But it's not terribly impressive. I give him a 5 (with a point off for acting like a girl during the judges' review). Amy gives him a 2 (with two points off, for the same reason).

Luke Menard: 1.5
"Everybody's Talking At Me". Ergh. It's just so... elevator. A few badly pitchy spots. Zzzzz. I give him a 3. Amy gives him a zero.

Colton Berry: 1.5
He says he looks like Ellen DeGeneres... and yeah, I guess he does. "Suspicious Minds". Very cheesy rendition; just not believable. It's not supposed to be happy song. Buh. I give him a 3. Amy gives him a zero.

Garrett ("Leif") Haley: 3.5
"Breaking Up Is Hard To Do". He's singing it lounge-style, and badly. He looks like the love child of Andy Gibb and Stevie Nicks. And Leif Garrett. Utterly forgettable performance. I give him a 4. Amy gives him a 3.

Jason Castro: 6.0
"Daydream". Nice personality, humble. Rough start. Looks like John Travolta... from "Battlefield Earth". It's, uh, okay. Pitchy in parts. Not sure how he'd be without the guitar. I give him a 5. Amy gives him a 7.

Michael Johns: 7.0
"Light My Fire". Good song, but tough to sing well. A little pitchy. Vocally not great, but at least it sounds current, and it's energetic. I give him a 7. Amy gives him a 7.

Overall: a lot of bland, timid performances. The women are going to wipe the floor with these guys.

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