'American Idol' in Atlanta: Look familiar?

A scruffy Georgian with a guitar, wearing a plaid shirt and sandals. 
A blonde country singer named Lauren. A singer named Chris Medina. Some cannon fodder from Season 11.

Thursday's American Idol auditions from Atlanta almost seemed like a rerun.

With the episodes going from two hours to just one Thursday, producers concentrated on Hollywood-bound talent. While Alyson Ragona and her cosmic blue cat blouse didn't make it, Medina and his black dog Bubby did. (This Medina, by the way, isn't the one from Season 11 with the disabled fiancee.)

If the Idol winner comes from Atlanta, it may be one who looks like the second generation of a previous contestant. But here were the 10 who impressed me most:

10. Emily Piriz. A 17-year-old student who has watched American Idol since its first season, Piriz earned her golden ticket with a powerful take on Jessie J's Mamma Knows Best.

9. Kristen O'Connor. The 24-year-old nurse tech delivered a strong, confident rendition of Billie Holiday's Good Morning Heartache.

8. Jesse Cline. Connick dubbed this third-shift gas-station attendant the "ultimate Cinderella" because of his believability, even though he would have been hard to pin down to a genre, as he sang a simple song — Needtobreathe's Washed by the Water.

7. Caleb Johnson. A Season 11 cast-off who has let his hair grow out in the two years since getting cut just before the top 24, Johnson looks to be the season's hard-rock wailer.

6. Majesty Rose. Wearing a headband of red and yellow flowers, Rose played against the Idol type, quietly singing Coldplay's Violet Hill. Connick praised the 21-year-old preschool teacher's subtlety; Lopez thought she sounded effortless; and Urban found himself impressed by how much her quietness invited him in to listen to her. While she was extremely likable, like Detroit's Jade Lathan, those understated qualities sometimes make progressing through Hollywood difficult.

5. Neco Starr. Starr also made it to Hollywood in Season 11. He wasn't a unanimous choice with the judges after singing Adele's Someone Like You. Two years ago, he seemed like someone who could have gone further under the right circumstances. Maybe two years' more experience will help.

4. Jessica Meuse. With a hometown called Slapout, Ala., this 22-year-old student with a pink streak in her hair needed to be only a little above average to get through to Hollywood. Fortunately, she was even more than that, singing an original song called Blue Eyed Lie with a hitch in her shoulder as she played guitar and a voice that got more nasal as she went higher. As Urban suggested, she could be an act greater than the sum of her parts.

3. Ben Briley. The full-bearded Gallatin, Tenn., native was a total surprise, from his song choice — Amos Lee's Arms of a Woman — to his delivery. Connick picked up on the variety of influences in Briley's supple twangy voice, dubbing him "Brother Gumbo," a nickname Briley said he hoped wouldn't stick.

2. Jordan Brisbane. This 15-year-old walked in fully intending to "shut American Idoldown." And then he did, with a knock-out version of Bruno Mars' When I Was Your Man. Connick and Lopez both suggested he limit his runs, which weren't his strong suit. If he listened to them, he could go far in this competition.

1. Bria Anai. Though she was just 15 years old, Bria Anai had one of night's most impressive voices, and definitely its sparkliest lipstick. Her version of Adele's One and Only was strong and beautiful, with lots of dynamics.