"American Idol" Top 12 Guys -- Durbin Rocks Out, Lusk Channels Vandross

Tonight's "American Idol" performances by the Top 12 guys were full of surprises. Some hated contestants performed amazingly well, some beloved vocalists crashed and burned, and a lot of guys made unusual song choices. It's going to be tough to predict how the vote shakes out on Thursday, since many fans might be voting their guy in based on past--rather than current--performances. Let's break it down in tonight's order:

Clint Jun Gamboa: Clint sang "Superstition" and initially seemed completely drowned out by the band. When I could pick his vocals out from the background noise, he sounded a little quavery. He grew stronger as the song progressed, and hit some good big notes at the end. Once again, I think Gamboa is the contestant that sounds Adam Lambert-y when he gets going.

The "American Idol" judges seemed more impressed than I did, although Jennifer did note that he seemed like he had to work through his jitters a bit. Randy thought Clint surpassed his gig at the karaoke bar: "no karaoke singer has that kind of vocal talent."

Jovany Barreto: Jovany definitely stood out from the crowd of guys with his silver suit vest and dress pants and bulging biceps. I actually haven't been that impressed with his performances in the past, but he surprised me tonight by displaying more control and a sweeter tone than before. He also looked younger and hipper, somehow, perhaps from a new haircut and a bit of scruff--are the makeovers starting early?

Steven was impressed, shouting "Holy shipyard!" to avoid being censored for his usual language. Jennifer felt Jovany had finally shown the audience the real him, but Randy disagreed, finding the whole thing too karaoke. He wanted Jovany to bring more to the song.

Jordan Dorsey: Not surprisingly, Jordan once again didn't live up to the hype. He sang Usher's "OMG" and obliterated it, never seeming to find exactly what range he wanted to be singing in. He also whipped his jacket off to loud screams from the audience, and then did...nothing. If you're going to make a dramatic movie, you've got to do some dancing, not just walking around the stage. The vocals were weak, and it was clear this was totally not Jordan's style.

Steven told Jordan that he had the moves, but not the vocals. Jennifer looked as perplexed as the rest of us, asking "Is this the artist you want to be?" Jordan's resounding "no" probably indicates some behind-the-scenes machinations to make Jordan try Usher. Randy told Jordan that you have to bring your own spin to a song, otherwise it just pales in comparison to the original. Jordan promised that he could do better, that he's not a "jumpy jumpy" singer.

Tim Halperin: Oh, Tim. I was afraid you might become "guy behind the piano," but this wasn't the right response either. Tim tackled Rob Thomas song "Streetcorner Symphony (Come On Over)" and it just didn't quite work. Time seemed more intent on moving all over the stage, rather than really landing the notes, and while the crowd was screaming for this cutie, he didn't really live up to his former performances.

Steven said he wasn't sure the song did Tim justice, and Jennifer agreed that it wasn't his strength. She wanted the audience to really see who Tim was, and this wasn't it.

Brett Loewenstern: No, just no. I know a lot of people are fans of this ultra-positive unique kid with his mop of wild red curls. I just couldn't get into his sort of sassy, cabaret version of "Light My Fire," complete with what Randy noted was at least 14 hair tosses. On top of his bizarre interpretation of the song, Brett proved one of my earlier fears--that he hasn't quite found his voice yet, and can't seem to hang onto any particular note for any length of time.

J-Lo told Brett he had more hair tossing than her and Beyonce combined--"you need a fan!", but she loved his unique performance. Steven loved it as well. Randy noted the pitch problems but agreed with the others that Brett was "fun and bold."

James Durbin: I feel vindicated tonight. Despite all the hate from Adam Lambert fans (TVLine's Idoloonies editor compared them to Daleks--"Exterminate!"), I thought this kid had potential to be a true rocker, and tonight he proved it. Singing a Judas Priest tune "You Got Another Thing Comin'," James seriously sounded like he was recorded, his voice just flowed out so naturally. Even the classic rock fan sitting on the couch next to me, who usually cringes at "American Idol" versions of his beloved songs, thought James really rocked it.

It also looked as if he got the first standing ovation of the night, but James felt true, exuberant triumph when judge Steven threw away his TV-friendly dialogue and swore a blue streak while the censors bleeped away. Steven called it "crazy good" and said he didn't want to tell James to dial it back, that he loved that he was over-the-top. Jennifer, who'd been rocking along to his "American Idol" performance, said she loved the organic and natural way that James performed. Randy praised James for not overdoing the "high bit" on the scream and declared "this is how you do it."

Asked by Ryan Seacrest how he felt, James replied that he was having "the time of my life, it's the best thing in the world." Rock on, James.

Robbie Rosen: It may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but singing Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" proved to be a bad fit for Robbie's natural range. The notes were unsteady, and his abrupt jumps to falsetto didn't work this time. I know he has a good voice, but he didn't show it here.

Once again, Randy was the one "keeping it real," pointing out the pitch problems and bad transitions, to which Robbie rolled out the dreaded "I had fun with it" excuse. Steven and Jennifer praised the performance however, though Jennifer conceded that "not all the notes were perfect."

Scotty McCreery: Scotty sat up there on a stool and just sang his little country heart out on "Letters from Home" by John Michael Montgomery. He definitely showed more range than usual, kept his deep notes from plunging into monotone, and had the girls screaming with his boyish smirk. Definitely the whole package of confidence, vocal control and personality.

Steven loved the song choice and thought it was "beautiful." Jennifer told him that this was why they had passed him to the next round, because they knew he was capable of a performance like this. Randy liked that Scotty was a throwback country artist, not trying to be a crossover--although how that fits into the "American Idol" genre is a question for another day.

Stefano Langone: This kid could skate into the "American Idol" Top 12 on charm, because the girls were loving his enthusiasm and infectious smile as he plowed through Bruno Mars' "Just the way you are." He does have vocal talent, but he just didn't seem to quite get where he needed to be this time--I was left feeling "He's got potential" rather than "he did great!"

Steven liked that Stefano's voice "cuts through the air" and he knows it's going to be good when the vein pops out of Stefano's forehead. Jennifer went on about Stefano's amazing consistency, which considering his uneven performance, says to me the producers want to keep Stefano in the competition. Randy did point out the sharp notes, but he was feeling that vibe of Stefano's potential, too.

Ryan helped that star potential out by asking if Stefano was singing to a particular girl, and the future Lothario said it was for "All the ladies out there, I like you just the way you are." Cue rabid fangirl screams and rapid dialing.

Paul McDonald: Like many of the "American Idol" contestants tonight, the quirky Rod Stewart-esque Paul seemed to be trying just a little too hard. Whereas his audition of "Maggie May" was all calm and smooth, here he seemed to be pushing the vocals too hard and doing laps around the stage instead of just maintaining his usual low-key vibe. Dial it back, Paul, it's okay. You're interesting enough!

Steven teased Paul about the "McDonald two-step," but he was a fan of the character in his voice. Jennifer and Randy were also full of praise for his joy up on stage and his unique qualities that set him apart from other "Idol" contestants.

Jacob Lusk: I really wasn't sure about Jacob's performance of "A House Is Not a Home" initially. It began with a lot of attitude and a disconcerting lip smack that made me feel like we were about to get a performance from Damon Wayans' "In Living Color" film reviewer Blaine, complete with "two snaps and a twist." Then he dialed it back a bit and settled into rich, warm vocals that were beautifully smooth and well controlled--probably one of the strongest vocals of the night. He got a standing ovation from Casey Abrams, which is a high compliment.

Steven called it "divine intervention" that brought Jacob to the stage, and said he felt "honored to be in [his] presence." Jennifer was overwhelmed with the performance and said he was picking up where the late Luther Vandross left off. Randy agreed with the comparison and said they were lucky to have Jacob on "American Idol."

Casey Abrams: Casey was a joyous ham on stage again tonight, strutting around and schmoozing Jennifer during his performance of "I Put a Spell on You." Once again he just performs so naturally, so in his own personal groove, and we're all along for the ride. I didn't think his vocals were quite as strong as they've been in other performances, but he's definitely a truly musical guy.

Ryan asked Casey about his reported illness and Casey said his stomach just hadn't been cooperating. When Ryan jokingly moved away to avoid catching anything, Casey turned around and aimed his back end at him instead. That should probably get him a few votes.

For me, the pleasant surprises and strong contenders of the night were James Durbin, Scotty McCreery, Jacob Lusk and Casey Abrams. Robbie Rosen, Brett Loewenstern, Jordan Dorsey and Tim Halperin had the weakest performances. Clint Jun Gamboa, Jovany Barreto, Stefano Langone and Paul McDonald had highs and lows, with the latter two faring better with the judges and audience.

This is going to be a tough one, because a lot of the guys I liked in the earlier rounds just didn't bring it tonight. If I were going to pick the six based on those performances, I would take James, Scotty, Jacob, Casey, Stefano and Paul. Robbie and Tim have good past vocals and the cuteness factor working for them, so they could edge out other contestants. My worry is that James Durbin might not get a fair shake because of earlier prejudices about his scream, and that would be a shame. He's got good stage presence, he's good-looking, he's interesting, and he really has good rocker vocals--and we need a rocker to shake things up on "American Idol." I don't think I can take another season of creaky ballads and power ballads.

What do you think, "American Idol" fans, who should go home? Who will go home? Did anyone surprise you tonight, in a good or bad way?

Watch "American Idol" Wednesday and Thursday this week at 8/7c. Check your local listings to be sure, as times can change.