----- Original Message ----- 
From: "floatingunder" <underthefloat@msn.com>
>> I have no beef if either Jordin or Blake wins -- I actually think 
>> that
>> Blake could potentially make the best album of the three of them, 
>> and
>> I think that album would be surprisingly Audities-friendly -- but 
>> I'm
>> backing Melinda all the way.
>
> It's funny that you say that about Blake per I almost wrote the same
> thing.  The guy has the voice if put to the "right" (ie: Audities
> vein) songs, that I think many would like him. Fer instance, 4-5
> weeks ago he did some 80's type ballads a few times (it may not have
> been songs from the 80's but that's what they reminded me of) and 
> his
> vocals were smooth and just perfect for the song.

Good thing I had no money down, because Melinda went home tonight. 
Ah, well.  Pretty sure that means Jordin wins it, then, but I have no 
doubt that Melinda will have an album out by the end of the year.

The first time I thought I saw something in Blake was fairly early on 
when he did Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" -- a great song, and one 
that's surprisingy tricky to sing -- and absolutely nailed it.  I 
think if you put Blake Lewis in a room with some good songwriters (he 
is actually a fairly gifted arranger himself based on the way he's 
reconstructed many of his songs, and he might be a pretty good 
producer as well), he would create an entirely credible, 
modern-sounding pop record that would be triangulated somewhere 
between Lewis Taylor, the first Crowded House album and the less goofy 
side of Barenaked Ladies. Whether this actually happens remains to be 
seen.

S