American Idol Encores Season 5

Check out the entire album at AOL Music

Mini review:

The casio-flavored backing tracks and canned-sounding background singers can go, but there are some real vocal standouts here. Just as I suspected, Bucky Covington (awesome growly rock vocals on "Superstition"--I love him singing rock) Melissa McGhee (belting "What About Love") and Ace Young (here singing "Father Figure" his false is money) shine in the recording studio. The judges were right, Chris Daughtry has a great recording voice. Sitting here listening to "Dead or Alive" I kind of miss him. Taylor Hicks was just as he was on the show--energetic and passionate. Elliott Yamin's smooth jazzy vocal on "Moody's Mood for Love" reinforced my belief that he's the best male vocalist out of this bunch. And next, is the best female, Paris Bennett and her smokey soulful take on "Midnight Train to Georgia." There's some good stuff here.