American Idol 13: Atlanta Auditions

I was still able to catch the show later today, and I certainly had a few thoughts about the golden ticket winners. I’m becoming very impressed with the crop of talent so far, and while we have certainly seen a huge percentage of people bringing their acoustic guitars, I’m chocking that up to the fact that American Idol has now allowed people to bring them during the auditions. But why would some of them bring one and not use it at all?

Nonetheless, I feel good about the season. The judges are really settling into a nice, comfortable groove and we’ve seen plenty of featured talent and I’m sure we will discover more in the weeks to come. So, on a whole, I think the Idol producers managed to put together a pretty well done cattle call audition round. Thanks, guys!

On with the show!

Majesty Rose
Violet Hill
Majesty is very charismatic, charming, and she makes you want to root for her! There's also an intricacy to her voice that's quite riveting to the ears, but at the same time, delicate which was sublime. She also knows how to use the perfect dynamics to a song and there's a quiet power to her vocals. This kid is real good! In fact, she was so good, it's officially my favorite audition of the season yet. 9

Jesse Cline
Washed by the Water
There's not much star quality going on with Jesse, but his voice sounded fantastic on this song. I agree with Harry, there's something about his delivery that was very believable. I'm not sure he'd be able to pull an upset in this competition, but there's no denying of his talent. 7.5

Chris Medina
Chasing Pavements
He’s a male singer with a cowboy hat, a guitar - oddly just strapped on to him - an above average voice, and whose adorable Labrador accompanied him during his audition? That’s a perfect storm! Fortunately for those of us looking for something different this year, Chris lacks the secret ingredient: Charm. So yes, I think we’re fine. Everyone can breathe. 6.5

Kristen O'Connor
Good Morning Heartache
She sang the song adequately, but Kristen is simply too bland for this competition. She's got no edge, and very little soul and comes across as a contestant ready for the pageant circuit, but not for the actual music industry. Eh. 6

Emily Piriz
Mama Knows Best
Emily delivered a strong, well-rehearsed audition of Mama Knows Best, but I had trouble remembering her after a while. I’m not sure she really has what it takes to make a lasting impression with the viewers. 6.5

Ben Briley
Arms of a Woman
He sang Arms of a Woman, a song I’m not familiar with, and brought a nice southern soul to it. I was a bit impressed, though I'm not sure how Idol would be able to market him after the competition. He's like the younger brother of Tate Stevens. Haha. 6.5

Nica Nishae
Natural Woman
She’s not great, but she’s good. I’m not sure I see her being remembered in the later rounds since I don’t see a real spark when she performs. I don't know. There's something about this audition that didn't click. 6.5

Jordan Brisbane
If I Were Your Man
I've never found someone so annoyingly confident. I want Jordan to succeed, but I also want him to fail. Haha. He’s an enigma. He sang beautifully with a rich tone, but this melisma-filled version sounded strange. Was that just me? Look, the kid can sing, and possesses a natural instrument, but he’s also a super aggressive singer. No me gusta. 5

Sam Burchfield
I Want To Be Like You
Sam Burchfield is handsome. That’s really about all I got. Haha. But seriously, he sang a fairly good version of the song with an interesting twist, he has a very marketable tone, and if Phillip Phillips hadn't have won two seasons ago, I’d be on board with him making it through a few rounds. I get what Harry was saying, but give this boy a chance. You said yes to mediocre singers! 7.5

Jessica Meuse
Blue Eyed Lie
Her voice is big and strong with a interesting mix of tone and grit, and there's a certain character to her voice that's very unique. Plus, she has an intriguing personality. Given the right material, this girl could blow up. Very nice. 8

Lauren Augburn
Fancy
Lauren's young, blonde, a bit pretentious, but she has a powerhouse country voice that seems to have very respectable glory note potential. She could be a contender if she manages to make it through the next few rounds. But we'll see. 7.5

Neco Star
Someone Like You
Hmm. Neco has a good singing voice, but the choices he made with the melody was a bit too overwrought for my taste.  I don't know. 6

Caleb Johnson
Into The Void
HE'S LOUD. Eh. 5.5

Bria Anai
One & Only
Bria’s got some pipes, but she came across as someone who's nowhere near ready for this type of competition. I hated how she arranged the Adele song into something completely unrecognizable with a lot of nonsense runs. Tone it down, Bria! Geez. 6