'Idol:' Do run run

I've got to say, I'm not a huge Mariah Carey person. It's not that I don't appreciate her vocal skills or her five-octave range. But her songs just aren't my style, and I think she's had a pernicious effect on a lot of the traditional "Idol" wannabes, who clutter their songs with those complicated runs that Randy seems to like so much. Hence, the mild dread I felt at the prospect of Carey Night. (Did I dread it more than "inspirational" night? Maybe a little.)

Simon was right when he said that the boys had it easier, because they didn't have to face a direct comparison. Even though I'm not steeped in the Carey-and-collaborators songbook, I know a weak imitation when I hear it. And even Jason Castro's bland luau version of "I Don't Want to Cry" worked better than Brooke White's attempt at "Hero"-by-the-piano. But I'd say only two people nailed it tonight, and their last names are Archuleta and Cook...

David Archuleta: What can I say? If inspirational songs are his wheelhouse, a Mariah Carey inspirational song is -- I don't know, his wheelhouse decked with posters of cute little kittens. He's got the vocal chops to pull off "When You Believe," and for some reason, he seemed less precocious than usual doing this one. Or maybe I'm just getting soft.

Carly: Wait, did Carly just say that her fellow contestants are boring? Compared to Michael Johns, maybe they are. (David Cook is a gritty-ish rocker onstage, but isn't he also big on crossword puzzles?) Anyway, Carly wore long sleeves for this performance -- probably a good move with the voters -- but her version of "Without You" was sort of vintage Carly: She hit most of the notes, she sang loud enough, but her tone wasn't especially pleasant, and as Simon suggested, she looked way too tense.

Syesha: I prefer Syesha's Mariah impression to Carly's; she really seemed to feel it in the growly parts. But her "Vanishing" still came off as a second-rate Mariah imitation, which only reminded me of Syesha's second-rate Whitney imitations.

Brooke: In some ways, I think I like Brooke's voice better than Syesha's and Carly's: She knows she can't bother to even attempt Mariah head-on, ergo, no runs. But in general, I found her performance of "Hero" less entertaining than the judges' attempt to get a handle on a hamburger metaphor. Was this a Mariah burger without the meat, or a Mariah burger without the bun, or a Mariah burger without the tom-ah-toes? I don't know. I ordered the chicken.

Kristy: I think Kristy's getting a little better every week, and in some ways, again, I liked her unadorned, I'm-not-going-to-bother-with-the-runs attempt at "Forever" better than Carly's and Syesha's imitations. Still, she seemed more like a beauty-contestant pageant than a pop star, no?

David Cook: Ah, my boy is back. What I love about David, besides the fact that he finds interesting arrangements almost every week, is the fact that he lays it on the line with his vocals. His money note during "Always Be My Baby" was brave, and it paid off.

Jason Castro: I'm glad Randy is making attempts at Cowellesque metaphors, and I actually agree with his "luau" take on Jason's mild performance. (And really, I'm not sure I ever want to be at the same luau as Paula.) Jason's song was fine for what it was, but it wasn't much of anything.

Looking forward to the comments. And for more talkback and discussion, I am pleased to announce our first "Idol" chat of the season, Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Boston.com. Bring your disagreements and predictions. And bile. Bring your bile. It's more fun that way.