Ok, this is my first attempt at reviewing Canadian Idol and I must say I am enjoying this contest very, VERY much. A great group of contestants, good and constructive judging and the host is GREAT eye candy! Who could ask for anything more! If I wasn’t so tired I would have reviewed both episodes but come back tomorrow and I should have the other one up after a few hours of sleep. Gotta love the IDOL format!
Lindsey Barr- Age: 26
Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Dropping the guitar so her inner entertainer can break free…watch out!
Burning Love — Elvis Presley
My audition notes have her as a saloon singer with a bluesy edge and a good stage vibe. She seemed to give more of the same in T.O. and it got her a shot at the 24. I’m not sure if choosing an Elvis song was the way to go and being the first one out of the box is stressful in and of itself. I found her a wee bit karaoke even though I know her voice is that dark and her stage motion was a bit of a train wreak but she didn’t really sing badly. I feel she may have been trying a tad to hard to make a good impression and it could cost her. Seems the judges and I agree on this one: song choice is EVERYTHING! Contestants should make that their mantra for the entire season!
Definitely on the bubble unless she’s got a lot of friends or appeals to barflies.
Martin Kerr - Age: 25
Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta
“A wandering minstrel, I…”…until he got married.
Lost Together – Blue Rodeo
I had no notes from the auditions for this singer but I have to admit I instantly liked him. I also have never heard of this song or group before so I wouldn’t know how close he was or not to the original. I did like his performing style — very comfortable and confident — but it might be too “coffeehouse” for some. Vocally, he was solid in both pitch and tone. I certainly would like to hear more from him and see whether or not he can change things up style-wise. Glad the judges were willing to give him a chance to grow.
Should be safe for now.
Gary Morissette - Age: 21
Hometown: Fruitvale, British Columbia
The very first (goofy) online contestant!
Good Golly Miss Molly — Little Richard
Uh…very…ENERGETIC…He IS a little goofy, isn’t he? But intriguing. He took a VERY different spin on this old rock n’ roll chestnut and swung it into the 21st century. Comfortable on stage, plays his ax well and has that gravel grit rocker tone to his voice. I could stand to hear and see more. Seems like rockers are here to stay on the Idols, eh?
On the bubble but may have the fans to pull it out this week.
Tetiana Ostapuwych- Age: 25
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
If at first you don’t succeed at American Idol…try the Canadian version!
Feelings – Albert Morris
I was familiar with this contestant through her run on AI but she didn’t make it past the Hollywood Round. Up north, she has made it into the Top 24 but I still wasn’t impressed with what I saw and heard. Here, she takes a classic slow ballad and turns it into a trippy jazz vocal. I’m not sure I liked it but it just may be that I don’t like her whole demeanor. I agree with Zack — BIZARRE song choice.
She should survive to next week due to the favorable judges reviews.
Mitch MacDonald - Age: 22
Hometown: Port Hood, Nova Scotia
“Traditional” singer turned indie musician.
Follow Through – Gavin DeGraw
Boy, his vocal tone is extremely BRIGHT and high but he has a distinctive sound. Good stage presence, plays well and does distract from his singing. I’m just not sure how far he can go with his type of sound. Judges gave the thumbs up for him as well. He definitely is likeable.
Should be safe but you never know.
Paul Clifford - Age: 26
Hometown: Port Moody, British Columbia
Is the third time finally the charm?
Broken – Seether
Another rocker boy with piercings and a hard edged voice. If I understand correctly this is his third shot at CI and he’s finally cracked the Top 24. I’ll give him props for hanging in there and believing in himself and his dream. He was good, nothing spectacular, and even though I’m not familiar with the song, he did well enough IMHO to go through to next week.
Should be safe because I might already have a following after three years trying.
Earl Stevenson - Age: 22
Hometown: Lloydminster, Alberta
The Canadian Taylor Hicks with a Jason Castro aura
All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
Well, that’s one of the most ambitious song choices of all the Idol selections I’ve heard – the Dave Matthews rendition of a Jimi Hendrix cover of a Bob Dylan song. Yikes! These Canadians are real risk takers and as a musician myself I LOVE IT! Not the best singer of the bunch but he’s unique and believable as a performer. I liked him enough to want to see him again.
Should be safe because the judges loved him so much.
Lisa Bell - Age: 27
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
One half of the Top 200 sing-off
Long Train Runnin’ – Doobie Brothers
She kind of reminds me of a more mature Jordin Sparks but with not as big a voice. However, she does know how to use it and she sings big and broad. Nice turn with this Doobie Brothers classic — good energy while working the audience well. She needs to stick around because she seems like an innovator and I want to see what else she can do.
Another safe singer.
Mookie Morris - Age: 18
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Named after a home run hitting baseball player.
Twist and Shout – The Beatles
Love the name, love the stage presence, good vocals, and he’s a cute boy toy. Perfect combination for a pop star and this young kid might just be on his way to that. He’s still a little rough around the edges but if he can learn and grow in this competition he should be a serious contender for the top.
Very safe and on his way to the Top 10 for sure.
Drew Wright - Age: 28
Hometown: Collingwood, Ontario
The quiet fire…hummmm…
Under Pressure – Queen w/David Bowie
I really like his voice and he has great control over it – from the highs to the lows and everything in between. Tough song choice but he worked it out and chose the best parts of it to show off his tone colors. He has oodles of talent and he left me wanting to hear more – and that’s a GOOD thing!
Should be safe because he was so different than the others.
Oliver Pigott - Age: 27
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Brotherly Love, Part 1
I Hear You Knockin’ – Dave Edmunds
Can we say overkill? I didn’t like anything about his performance. Zilch. Nothing. Nada. Thank you, Zach, for putting my feelings into words.
Too weird to be safe but I don’t know if Canada will go for it. We’ll see.
Katherine St-Laurent - Age: 17
Hometown: Otterburn Park, Quebec
Youngest with a lot to prove.
Total Eclipse of the Heart – Bonnie Tyler
I got a little distracted by her accent and her falling into that “I must scream the high notes” mode but this child CAN SING and at her age that was a darn good job. She has a sweetness to her voice as long as she doesn’t push it and chose a great song to show it off. Looking forward to much more from her.
Should be safe for a very long time if the judges and I have anything to say about it.
Ref. Paul Clifford. First year fan here. Some fans from previous years but quite a few new fans this year like me (including some first time CI watching). Love his raspy voice and sound, and I found quite a few of his original songs and I love them.
As far as being safe, hope so because I know some of Paul`s fans, including me that voted Paul for 2 straight hours.
Paul`s voice and style is not for everyone, but when it is your style of music, you cannot but like him.
I am from Quebec and distinctive accoustic singers/songwriters are well liked here.
Thanks for leaving your thoughts on your favorite contestant. As an American, I am certainly learning a LOT about the different musical sounds that Canada possesses and I like what I’m hearing. I don’t think the American singers on AI are willing to venture out of their musical comfort zone like the CI folks are and that’s too bad because after seven seasons they are all starting to sound the same at times. Not so on CI so far and I’m enjoying it very much.
So, what did you think of the outcome? Interesting…
J