Idol Chatter & Voice Views

American Idol begin introducing us to a talented Top 24 Sunday night.

But not without a few noticeable casualties after the hopefuls performed solos with the Idol band for the first time.

Guys we saw advance Monday included: Jason Warrior, Chayce Beckham, Caleb Kennedy, Wyatt Pike, Beane, Graham DeFranco

Gals we saw advance: Alyssa Wray, Andrea Valles, Cassandra Coleman, Hannah Everhart

The eliminations: Alex Miller (more on him later), Anthony Guzman (the Viking enthusiast), Amanda Mena, Murphy (the Seattle-based singer-songwriter).

Cliffhanger: The show ended with the fate of Alanis Sophia and Casey Bishop hanging in the balance. I’ll say this: After the cuts of Alex and Murphy, the Idol judges should all have their judging certifications stripped permanently — as in forever — if they don’t advance Alanis.

SUNDAY’S BEST PERFORMANCES

1. Alanis Sophia, “Uninvited” — Sophia took the stage looking like a lovely Disney princess then launched into an intense anti-love song. In the process, she showed off great range, tons of vocal firepower, command of the stage and, most importantly, an emotional connection to what she was singing. All of which left me wondering why we didn’t hear more from Alanis during Hollywood Week.

2. Jason Warrior, “Believer” by Imagine Dragons: Did Jason want a spot in the Top 24? Oh, yeah. He started off delivering a great vocal, then took the performance to a nearly possessed level during the last minute of so, belting out notes while hopping on one foot at one point. Lionel’s right, Jason has a tendency to over-sing. This time, though, he nailed it.

3. Chayce Beckham, “You Should Probably Leave” by Chris Stapleton: This song lacked the dramatic moments you’re looking for when your Idol life is on the line. Even Chayce, in hindsight, seemed to realize that. But of the males, Chayce has the most distinctive and pleasing voice I’ve heard, so the Top 24 would have seemed empty without him.

4. Murphy, “Am I Still Mine?” — Murphy stepped on the Idol stage and delivered another heartfelt, well-crafted original. And got cut. That did not shock me. He’s not cut from the Idol mold and lacks the flair for dramatics the show loves. But I enjoyed his performances much more than … oh, let’s say Alejandro Aranda’s. And I’ll be looking forward to any post-show music Murphy releases.

5. Alyssa Wray, “I’m Here” — This was a case of a fabulous opening, a sublime ending with lots of amateurish shouting in between. Plus a strong stage presence. Does Alyssa show the potential to be the next American Idol? Oh, yeah. Does she need more work? Yep.

JUST PLAIN DUMB: I’m talking about the judges’ decision not to advance Alex Miller. Okay, his showstopper performance wasn’t his best. But of the male country artists on Idol, Alex seemed most ready for the show’s spotlight, most prepared to handle the show’s pressure. And if his country persona sometimes seemed a bit over the top, he also came across as a genuinely great guy. At 17, he handled his elimination with remarkable grace.

So what was the problem? Did he not have a sad enough sob story for Idol? Was he too much of a threat to producers’ favs? Would he have fared better if he flipped a pop song? Well, I haven’t heard the judges criticize Alyssa Wray for not flipping a country song.

Maybe there’s a grand plan here. Maybe the judges envision singer-songwriter Chayce taking the country lane and would prefer Alex return with just a touch more maturity, like a Laine Hardy. And Luke booking Alex for a show at the Opry was a nice gesture. Still, this cut struck me as just plain dumb.