I want to talk about American Idol.

Actually, I want people more knowledgeable than me to talk about American Idol.

Other than reviews of past participants' albums, I see almost no discussion in the press of the events on the show. I know it's because we're all supposed to be snarky and to hip for that, but there are some really interesting things going on.

Mainly, people talk about voices. How many times do you read a review where the writer about a singer's voice in terms any more concrete than "raspy" or "whiny"? Not many. After reading John Darnielle talk about Mia Doi Todd, I realized how little ability I have to do that effectively.

Not that the American Idol judges are so great at it. Randy's more entertaining as a goofball than as anything, and this season Paula has turned into an utter parody of herself, loving everyone and every performance. Simon, on the other hand, is usually spot-on. He's got better ears than either of the other two, and he proves it again and again.

It's not profound discussion -- but the show's developments could lead any of us with a musical bent to further discussions about voice (control, delivery, tone, etc.). But more than that, the discussions would be using examples that millions of people have heard, and would be more applicable than having the same recurring conversation about whether or not Joanna Newsom sounds like a child.

I, for one, would benefit a great deal.