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A packed room full of “Arch Angels” got an early Christmas gift thanks to the arrival of David Archuleta Wednesday night.

The almost 18-year-old singer brought his youthful approach and appealing tenor to the Grove of Anaheim as part of a 17-city tour of the U.S. in support of his second album, Christmas from the Heart, presenting a 90-minute show divided into two distinct parts.

For the first 40 minutes, Archuleta performed an eight-song set of hits and cover material before taking a short break to change into a dress jacket –- and then re-emerge to sing eight songs from his holiday disc from October.

It took only minutes of watching the concert to cement the idea that the Miami native, runner-up on the seventh season of American Idol, continues to be the seemingly shy and unassuming personality he revealed on the popular reality show. However, Archuleta -– who turns 19 on Dec. 28 –- also possesses an impressive voice. Here, he used that instrument in support of a mostly effective mix of upbeat dance numbers, R&B-tinged pop tunes and traditional Yuletide songs.

In addition to the hits from his self-titled debut, such as “Crush,” Archuleta performed several effective covers to give added weight to the show. Highlights included a take on Five for Fighting’s “The Riddle,” for which Archuleta also played piano, and an acoustic take on Sting’s “Fields of Gold,” dedicated to the late singer Eva Cassidy.

The last half of the night proved to be the most artistically satisfying, with the singer performing a song he co-wrote (“Melodies of Christmas”) as well as challenging classical material (notably “Ave Maria”) and numbers for which he sang in French (“Pat-a-Pan”) and Spanish (“Riu Riu Chiu”).

My biggest complaint, however, has to do with the arrangements, as there were few instrumental sections in any of the songs when Archuleta wouldn’t sing; the backing music alone could have shined or offered artful segues into the next verse or chorus.

A sad and lasting impact of the American Idol formula is that in order to elicit cheers, a vocalist like Archuleta must hit the top of his range with huge notes; the impact of a strong but nuanced song or musical arrangement is mostly lost on undiscerning listeners, as evidenced both in episodes of the vocal talent show and the reaction of many in the crowd at the Grove.

Yet Archuleta closed his show with a powerful and extended version of “O Holy Night” that served as another reminder of the power of his vocal ability.

Opener Benton Paul performed a pleasing blend of modern melodic rock across 25 minutes, his sound a cross between the Fray and John Mayer.