With only nine rockers left, it's becoming clearer and clearer that if our Rockers want to make an impression on INXS (and the voters at home), they need to take greater and greater creative chances. Crushing a song that's right in your wheelhouse out of the park isn't going to cut it anymore.

Suzie opens up the show this evening, and she definitely takes a risk, rearranging one of R.E.M.'s biggest hits, "Losing My Religion." Taking J.D.'s advice, she turns the fragile and beautifully modulated ballad into a chunky modern rock song. Closer to Evanescence than R.E.M., it works, changing the original version's slow build into the roller coaster dynamics of grunge. Dave and INXS are wowed by what they hear. Dave tells Suzie that he was worried when he heard about the new arrangement, but after hearing it he calls it a "brilliant move," one that highlights Suzie's vocal dynamics. Garry agrees, telling her that J.D. did her "a big favor" with the arrangement, because it shows off "all that's good in your performance and singing," and calling it her "best performance yet." For Kirk, it's "just a dream," and one he doesn't want to end.

Free's classic "All Right Now" may not have been MiG's first choice this week, but given the way he sings it, it should have been. He doesn't change the arrangement, but his personality shines right through. MiG's voice is lighter and more nimble than the husky, leather-lunged Paul Rodgers, who sang the original. His phrasing doesn't ride the cowbell that, along with an indelible guitar riff, is the song's most identifiable feature -- MiG teases where Rodgers demands. In a nice bit of synchronicity, Rodgers, who was also the lead singer of Bad Company, is now getting ready to hit the road fronting Queen, a band MiG knows something about. Dave loves what he hears, calling the performance "awesome" but notes that the song suits MiG almost too perfectly -- we know MiG can rock; now it's time for him to "make us weep." Tim agrees, advising MiG next time to "sing a ballad or maybe something with soul."

In the negotiations for song selection, J.D. ended up with the tune MiG wanted to sing, Seal's "Crazy." It's an odd song for J.D. Seal is smooth, although that is probably the last word you'd use to describe J.D., whose arrangement is crunchier and more angular than the original. Seal is a ladies' man; he's trying to entice a woman into bed. J.D. sounds like he's trying to get someone to join a cult -- an impression that's only magnified by his new shaved head-do. Dave compliments J.D. for his "ambitious" song choice and the fact that he changes up his song selection every week. Tim jokes that it's good that J.D. didn't go crazy, something that given his past performances, had him nervous. But Tim likes what he hears, only reminding J.D. to watch his pitching.

With her version of "Come As You Are," Jessica may just have revived Rock Star:INXS's Nirvana curse. She tries to put a little edge in her voice, adding a bit of a sneer at the end of each word, but it's toothless. When she tries to show some emotion, singing the "I don't have a gun" refrain an octave higher, the effect is more Christina (Aguilera) than Cobain. Dave starts out with a compliment, noting that, in terms of her style, that was the best she's looked, but that's all the good news she's going to hear. He just "didn't feel the passion." Garry agrees, telling her "you can't replace passion with slick moves," and adding that her performance "left me cold."

And for the second week, Jessica argues with INXS and Dave. "I fully put my heart into it," she tells them. "From my point of view, I felt it." What she can't seem to grasp is that if no one is feeling her passion, it's her problem, not theirs. As Jon tells her, "if you're giving your all and it's not coming across, I don't know how to make that change for you."

In the past, Jordis hasn't had a problem conveying her passion, but "Layla" gives her problems. The Eric Clapton-penned song is one of the most wrenching modern blues songs ever written, a howl of unrequited love. It's not a song meant to be sung with a smile, which unfortunately, Jordis does. Dave tells her it's not her strongest performance, something she already knew, telling him, "Man, I've done that better." Kirk agrees but tells her "it's going to be a while before we hear you sing an INXS song," a comment that gets a smile from Jordis and a withering stare from Jessica.

Brandon doesn't want to sing an INXS song anytime soon, so he makes a safe choice with "It's All Over Now." Written by soul legend Bobby Womack and first recorded by The Valentinos, the best-known version is by The Rolling Stones, who had their first chart-topper with the song. Brandon does the song as a shuffle, taking it into Widespread Panic territory. Taken on its own terms, it's a great performance, one that would knock 'em dead at Bonnaroo, but it's hard to imagine INXS playing the annual Tennessee jam band festival. Dave applauds Brandon's performance, commenting that Brandon "excels at Southern rock," but would like to see him excel at something else. Garry "loves The Stones," and he loves Brandon, but when he puts the two together, he doesn't think of INXS. Kirk calls his performance "awesome" but wants Brandon to match INXS's diverse sound.

Marty took the biggest chance of the evening. At the last minute, he decided to play The Killers' "Mr. Brightside" as a solo, accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. It could have blown up in his face -- after all, INXS is looking for a singer, not a solo act. But he pulls it off, and in the bargain, shows INXS that he can hold the stage on his own. Dave describes it as "awesome," adding that being a rock star means having an "intangible magnetism," which Marty shows he has. Tim agrees with Dave "100%," and Jon simply tells Marty he's "on the right track."

Deanna stays close to her comfort zone with "Long Train Running." Her husky voice turns The Doobie Brothers' light-soul Top Ten hit into a fiery rocker, her vocal coming close to the roar of Nikka Costa. Dave compliments her on the way she interacts with the band and the audience but wants her to do something completely different next time. Tim calls her a "great rock singer" but advises her to watch out, because she has a tendency to over sing. Kirk wants to hear her do a song where she doesn't simply belt it out.

Ty is determined to put last week's problems behind him, and he does so with Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry." It's a quietly devastating performance. At times his voice has Marley's reedy strength. If Jessica wants to see how to put passion across, she should listen to the way Ty sings "good friends we have and good friends we have lost." There's no missing his meaning. Dave simply calls his performance "awesome," adding that he saw "passion, rather than a guy who was portraying passion." Tim could only add that Ty "can really sing," and Garry calls it the" most soulful performance so far, by anyone."

It should be enough to keep Ty out of the bottom three, but who will end up there? Watch Wednesday's elimination show at 9PM ET/PT on CBS to find out.