Superstar search — Tonight: David the balladeer vs. David the rocker

In the "American Idol" world where singers are groomed, made-over and coached by "American Idol," it can be hard to maintain your own style. "It's amazing to go back you can see this online — how Archuleta has turned into a complete performer — being taught by 'American Idol,'" Evanoff said. "Cook came with a style and a swagger and a confidence that has been bolstered by the show."

Christian had this to say: "Week after week, Archuleta gets up there and it doesn't even seem to matter that they're trying to give him a make-over. You still hear and feel that youthful honesty in his sound and in his presentation. He really has maturity of musicianship that is miles beyond most of his peers."

Carlson also noted, "Think about how young Archuleta is. He's a 17-year-old kid who is fighting the changes still — his voice won't stabilize until he's 26. For him to have such a handle he's obviously careful with that (his voice) all the time."

Overall, our expert panel agrees that both singers are good technically.

Both singers have become polished performers.

And that we're in for a real showdown tonight.

So, we're back to square one. Which one do you like? Which sound do you like?

Tonight's voting will tell.

---

E-mail: ehansen@desnews.com