Hogwash

It's down to David Archuleta, Jason Castro, David Cook and Syesha Mercado.

I'm so old. David Cook is singing a song from 1982 - the year he was born. It just happens to be by one of my favorite groups of all time - Duran Duran. I've only seen the in concert six times. I need to work on that. Giving "Hungry Like the Wolf" a try - I'm just not feeling it. This is a song that only the vocals of the aging, yet hot - make that H O T - Simon LeBon.

Syesha's first song is Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" and she really has nothing to be proud about that performance because it once again demonstrates that there's nothing unique about her vocals. Yawn. The crowd loves it. Randy and Paula love it. I agree with Simon - "A bad impersonation of Tina Turner."

Jason - Why are he and Syesha still here? - sings "I Shot the Sheriff" by Bob Marley. It's not "bad" per se but I really don't care for it at all. Y A W N. Randy refers to "karaoke." Too kind, perhaps? "Utterly atrocious," laments Simon.

These are the cream of this year's crop? This Hoovers!

David "Awe Shucks" Archuleta gives "Stand By Me" a try. Thank God someone knows how to choose a song in Round 1. Not brilliant or anything like that - just significantly better than the other three.

Please - PLEASE - let's have a gooder Round 2.

David Cook tackles the Who's "Teenage Wasteland" and it's immediately evident that he's much more in his element here. Thank God!

Don't you wish we could vote people off rather than vote to keep them? That might be fun in the presidential election too!

"A Change is Gonna Come" - a song released after Sam Cooke's death - is Syesha's closing effort tonight. I like this performance infinitely better than her first - but still, no definition to her voice. She might make a good back-up singer - ya think?

Jason Castro unfortunately sticks to his classic folk rock roots with Bob Dylan's version of "Mr. Tambourine Man. Okay, I know Dylan has a tendency to slur words and grunts together in his vocal deliveries, but Jason just completely da da das his way through. At least he owns up to it. Other than the flub, his vocals were excellent. But at this stage of the game, Simon wisely advises Jason to pack his bags.

David Archuleta closes out the show with Elvis's "Love Me Tender," one of the first songs I learned to play on the clarinet. Alright Archuleta, open your eyes. This is definitely not a copycat version, in my opinion. Again, I'm not blown away, but it is delightful.

So I think David Cook wins Round 2 but overall, for the night, Archuleta is the winner.

It makes no difference if it's Jason or Syesha going home, just so long as it's one of them this week and the other one next week.

This is turning into hogwash.