This week each of the remaining six gets two songs - one from a film, supposedly a 'big number' and something from Woodstock, the 1969 festival.
Madison
She chooses Janice Joplin's Piece of My Heart
It's odd to hear this song done cleanly! She does a good, accurate job but it is just a copy of the clean version. I feel she has reached as far as she is likely to go now. She needs to get used to performing with audiences and connecting more. She's good but not great.
Laine
I Don't Need No Doctor from Joe Cocker
Now I don't remember this track but it's good and suits Laine's new image very well. I can see there being a market for this new-old look and sound.Laine does have some natural rawness which is needed for this too. It's not an exceptional performance though and he'll need to pull something out of the bag to be sure to keep going.
Jeremiah
Swing low Sweet Chariot by Joan Baez
Good numbers tonight - from my time. This is very easy-going for Jeremiah for a change. Maybe a bit too easy-going. He does pick it up later and brings something by way of excitement but he is also a bit whiny with it. Again, it was OK but not a stand out at all. If two are to go tonight he may well be one of them as things stand.
Laci Kay
The editing is very jumpy tonight with the as breaks deleted for Netflix but instead we just lurch from one scene to another. Laci sings To Love Somebody with is billed as coming from Janice Joplin. I didn't know she did this, one of my favourite numbers from the Gibb brothers.
I love this but Laci does not do it justice at all. It's not right in phrasing or even emotion. A poor performance, despite the way she looks which is fabulous.
She could be in trouble too and might save Madison as a result.
Alejandro
White Rabbit!! Wow, he's doing a cover of the Jefferson Airplane classic. I have never heard anyone do a cover of this. His version is way too muted, though. It's interesting, cool, and maybe with better sound engineering in the arena this could have sounded a lot better. It doesn't quite work for this programme, though. I admire his courage and the judges refer to him being like Pink Floyd and likely to be a winner anyway.
I definitely feel that he is coasting a little, surviving on his past brilliance for this round.
Wade
With A Little Help from My Friends
Now this is the Joe Cocker track I know. He sounds just like the guy and this is pretty damn good. The best performance of the night so far! It is probably not of great relevance to American Idol chances but you have to say Well done Wade for that!
We then hear Gabby Barrett who apparently came second last year. She sings a new number called I Hope which is great. Indeed, I do hope that we get to see and hear her over in the UK.
Now for the film tracks.
Madison should be safe with these but chooses Surrender by Celine Dion. Now no-one can really match Celine on a good day and Madison is still on the edge with her version. She is not quite hitting the notes and it really is annoying when she's just that fraction of a tone off. It is a very difficult song but then at this stage of the competition the candidates have to perform or get off the stage. She needs to be able to do stuff like this or choose something to make us remember with pride for her. This could be the end of her time at this level.
Alejandro decides to make his own 'ShowStopper' with an original track called Poison. That was very good. It is quite a night for this guy. The talent is fabulous. Katie says how powerful he will be when he wins American Idol!
Laci Kay does something called Open Arms and it's another song that does not suit her at all. It's OK but lacks any real connection or something to make us want to hear more from her. Not a good night and she could well be in big trouble which is a shame because I rate her more highly than Madison in terms of likely future success.
Jeremiah comes up with the classic Somewhere (There's A Place For Us) which Barbra Streisand did so well. It suits him and he does a nice job, a classy performance. Wade and Laine need to beat that somehow as Jeremiah might have rescued himself with that if they don't.
Wade sings Through The Valley, not a track I know but it is near perfect for the big guy. Amazingly good performance again - that's two in a row. I can hear this on some movie like Twin Peaks or some other dark theme. This guy is doing well.
Laine has a lot to do now. He chooses Johnny Be Good!! That's a cool choice and he seems totally at home with this genre. It really does help him to light up the stage and you can tell by the audience reaction that they love this guy. He has transformed over the weeks and must now be a real contender if he can keep this very natural stuff coming along.
So, there's two to go home and I would predict Jeremiah and Laci. That's what the votes say too. That's a big, deep cut this week.
But the judges still have a save. They decide to use it, just as the credits start to roll, and save Laci for another week. No-one gets a chance to say goodbye to poor old Jeremiah.
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