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Last week’s blind auditions on The Voice got off to a good start with the coaches picking out their favorite hopefuls, but while both Adam Levine and Usher (Raymond) both walked away with four team members, and Shakira was not that far behind with three, Blake Shelton, who has won the competition three times, had a rocky start with only two team members under his belt. Could his luck turn around the second week?
Monday’s episode wasn’t as great as the first night of its sixth season premiere last week. Yes, there were some great performances, but not by many, especially with the show being two hours. Also troubling was how some of the artists that were actually good got missed by the coaches, who clearly seemed to enjoy their blind audition.
What Got My Attention?
The one thing that caught my attention about this episode, besides the auditions, is Usher and even Shakira, waiting for the very last note to drop before hitting their chairs. I can’t tell if they are sincerely interested in the artist or if they simply want to quickly fill up their slots for their team. It becomes nerve-wrecking for a viewer to see an artist that is good and deserving of a chair turn, only for the coaches to hold off until the very last minute of their performance.
Out of the whole entire two hours of the show, I chose close to five artists that simply stood out to me: one artist because she had wicked vocals, the second because I was stunned that only one coach turned their chair, and the others because I felt that they had a shot at the battles if given the perfect song to improve their talent with.
The Brothers Walker were so good that I thought that the rest of the coaches, except for Usher was sleeping on the job. Their performance of “Keep Me in Mind” by Zac Brown Band was great. I loved the identical twin brothers’ harmony and how energetic they were. They gave a positive vibe from the way Blake, Shakira and Adam were reacting to the song; so why didn’t they turn? It’s one thing to be picky with who you want on your team, because it’s clear everyone wants the very best on their teams; I just think that the rest of the coaches should have given the Brothers Walker a chance before writing them off.
The second blind audition that I loved was that of Clarissa Serna, who rocked out to the song “Zombie” by the Cranberries. I am always a fan of a singer who makes the song their very own and Clarissa did just that. She had a grit to her vocals that made her very edgy. I love the Cranberries and she really did the song true justice. It was also great seeing Shakira rocking out, therefore Clarissa is a perfect fit to be on her team.
I loved the start off to “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys, which was sung by Melissa Jimenez. It wasn’t 100% perfect, but the girl did her best in not imitating Alicia note for note as some other artists do in some of the reality singing competitions. As I watched her performance I could see that Adam wasn’t going to hit his button. He’s done this song at many of his concerts, therefore, he automatically would want this performance of the song to be the best of the best. Shakira and Usher both fought hard to get her on their team, but I was glad to see Melissa go over to Team Usher.
The only time I have ever heard the song “Can’t You See” by The Marshall Tucker Band was when it was in the closing montage of “One Tree Hill” and I fell in love with the song. So, when Patrick Thomson took the stage for his audition, I waited with bated breath to hear him do the song good. He did exactly that and the rasp in his voice just fit. It was as if looking at a young version of Joe Cocker on stage. I was glad that Patrick went the route of choosing Adam as his coach. His musical personality just fits with him.
The final artist that blew me away was Sisaundra Lewis, who at one time performed with Celine Dion. I think the show always has one blind audition that just seals the end of the show for the evening, and that was Sisaundra, who performed the song “Ain’t No Way” by Aretha Franklin. The woman just dominated the stage and had control in her voice when it came to delivering powerful notes. Each coach wanted her, and Adam would have had a good chance at having her on his team if he hadn’t jinxed himself in his pitch to get her. Blake, who was having a rough night in getting an artist to be on his team, won Sisaundra over.
What Was Missing?
This time around I want to talk about the artists that got away. I normally review which artist may not have made an impact on me or what I wasn’t too keen on; that isn’t the case this time out. I was very disappointed that all of the coaches didn’t turn for Brendan Ryan, who sang the Beyoncé hit, “Love on Top”. I actually liked his performance of the song; and yes, there were a few spots where his pitch was a bit off, but he did a good job at the song. I can understand the coaches wanting to have the best, but Brendan could have been coached on what vocal issues he may have had.
The second performance that I thought should have been given a chance by the coaches was that of Allison Bray, who sang Connie Francis’s song “Where the Boys Are”. Despite the song being too dated for a young girl of seventeen years old, she sang quit well. I think she should have been given a chance by any of the coaches. My heart just broke when she didn’t get a chair turned because she did a good job. If previous winner Danielle Bradbury could wow the audience with songs that were before her time, then why not Allison. I could very well be in the minority, but she should have gotten a chance.
Tonight is another night of blind auditions. Could that night be the night that helps Blake fill the spaces for his team, or will the rest of the coaches shut him out? Here’s to hoping to see some more mind-blowing performances.
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