In many ways, Jason Castro is an American Idol anomaly.

The Rockwall resident got no airtime before making the top 24, but managed to amass enough fans to make it to the top four. And before auditioning for the show, he'd performed in public a whopping five times – while his Idol counterparts had previous record deals, assorted handlers and general showbiz smarts.

But in the end, it was that uniqueness that helped do Jason in.

"What it came down to is just my inexperience," he said during a conference call on Thursday. "Once we doubled up on songs, I wasn't really able to focus. I wasn't committing to either one, and I just couldn't connect."

On the other hand, he points out, "I think I'm very much what the show was originally about. I'm kind of as raw as it gets."

Raw or polished, all Idol hopefuls are besieged by message-board rumors, and Jason took the time to clear up a few. No, he didn't forget the words to "Mr. Tambourine Man" on purpose, and he didn't mouth the words "Don't vote" after Tuesday's mistake-riddled performances.

"I was saying 'Vote,' and then I said it again because I was trying to emphasize that," he says. Minutes later, he realized the words look alike if you're lip reading.

"That went through my mind, and I was like, 'Dang it,' " he says. "The second time, I only said 'Vote' once."

Still, after his fans ended up not voting enough, Jason admits feeling a bit joyful.

"I've been telling people that I was as happy last night as I was when I found out I made the top 24," Jason says. Why? The thought of tackling three songs in one night was looming.

In his opinion, "I can't even do two right."

Right now, he says, he's itching to get back to Texas and hang out with his family and friends. That includes a girlfriend; when a reporter noted that female fans will be disappointed by that news, he said, "Oh, I'm sorry."

"I kind of miss working in the summers with my dad," he says, recalling the years he's helped build custom swimming pools. But the future beckons, and he envisions it "wherever the music leads me."

Throughout the interview, one question kept coming up: Is he really as laid-back and "normal" as he seemed on American Idol?

"What you see is what you get," he says. "I didn't change at all coming out here. So yes, that's me."