Spoiler Alert! Recap and Review: THE VOICE Battle Rounds Night One 10/13; Full Results and Pictures!
By: Matt Tamanini Oct. 13, 2014
Well, tonight is the night when I generally begin to lose interest in NBC's juggernaut singing competition THE VOICE. As we transition from the ever compelling Blind Auditions to the generally disappointing Battle Rounds, it always annoys me that so much time and attention is focused on the coaches and the guest mentors. Yes, I love the fact that the singers are getting expert tutelage, but the show's attention should be, you know, on the contestants.
While this is the only area where THE VOICE doesn't rise to the level of AMERICAN IDOL, for me, it has often been a deal breaker. I never feel the connection to THE VOICE contestants that I do to those on IDOL. Hopefully now that I am reviewing every single performance, I will actually get invested in some of the singers.
The one saving grace of the Battle Rounds is the "Coach's Save" that Mark Burnett and company instituted a few seasons back. I never liked that with a poor coach's decision, a really talented singer might be on his or her way out of the competition. However, like everything else with THE VOICE, this turns into just another way to turn the attention back onto the coaches.
So far, the overall joy of new coaches Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani helped keep the the show centered on the singers resulting in a pretty entertaining first Battle Round. It also didn't hurt that the coaches brought in some insane talent to mentor the competitors. This season, Team Adam will work with rock legend Stevie Nicks. Team Blake wil be mentored by country super group Little Big Town. Team Pharrell will work with the incredible Alicia Keys. And Team Gwen will be mentored by her husband, Bush lead-singer Gavin Rossdale.
Check out my reviews of each performance and then let me know what you thought in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt.
Team Pharrell: Elyjuh René vs. Mayia Sykes
Song: "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys
Six-Word Review: Close your eyes and just listen.
Should Advance: Mayia Sykes
Did Advance: Elyjuh René
Save: Nope
This is one of top entrees on the singing competition show's "Do Not Sing List," but these two gave a pretty strong opening duet. That being said, it was incredibly difficult to watch, because Elyjuh was pulling so much face, at times, he actually pulled some of Mayia's as well, oh and don't get me started on his extreme gesticulation.
Beyond the faces and hands, the voices were pretty strong, although each had their own issues. Mayia, at times, sounded as if her vibrato was coming from Michigan J. Frog, and Elyjuh consistently swallowed his sound. Together they sounded like a decent duo, but individually, neither really impressed. I would have taken Mayia, but neither seems like a potential winner to me at this point.
Team Adam: Chris Jamison vs. Jonathan Wyndham
Song: "Young Girls" by Bruno Mars
Six-Word Review: Bad Song, Bad Performances, Good Pick
Should Advance: Chris Jamison
Did Advance: Chris Jamison
Save: Nada
The song opened with some really strong, tight harmony, but after that, it was all downhill. "Young Girls" did not sit very well in Jonathan's range, and he warbled through nearly every solo he had. Chris sounded significantly better and his voice was much more consistent, but his performance was underwhelming. Adam says that he sees superstar potential in Chris, but I have a feeling that he will end up getting set up against a really strong singer in the Final Battle Rounds and his journey will end there.
Team Gwen: Sugar Joans vs. Jean Kelley
Song: "Survivor" by Destiny's Child
Six-Word Review: Mini Debra Messing vs. Mini Xtina
Should Advance: Sugar Joans
Did Advance: Sugar Joans
Save: Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams
New Team: Pharrell Williams
Wow, as she opened up the song, Jean showed a crap-ton of swag. I was half expecting her to bust out with a NappyTabs routine right then and there. Beyond that though, she sounded really good, but her voice didn't have the depth and nuance that Sugar's did. Especially considering that at times, Sugar had some very Xtina moments, which, in my opinion, is nearly always a good thing. Her voice had so many levels, and she was able to add subtle inflections throughout the song, that he just seemed to be a few steps ahead artistically than Jean.
Though Gwen told Jean that she had to catch up on the beat during rehearsals, it seemed like early on, Sugar was back-phrasing nearly every line, and it became a bit of a distraction. It also didn't help that Jean seemed to drop some lyrics in the middle of the song. On the other hand, she does look like a young Debra Messing, so she's got that going for her, and it was enough to get Adam and Pharrell to turn again.
Team Blake: James David Carter vs. Craig Wayne Boyd
Song: "Wave on Wave" by Pat Green
Six-Word Review: Let Simon Make Them a Band
Should Advance: James David Carter
Did Advance: James David Carter
Save: Gwen Stefani
New Team: Gwen Stefani
Product Placement Alert: What a coincidence that the two country singers "drive" in the pickup truck!
It is moments like this that I kind of wish The Battle Rounds had an element of THE X FACTOR and the coaches could combine solo singers into duos and groups. These two together sounded light years better than the reigning male duo of country music, Florida-Georgia Line.
Individually, Craig oozes authenticity, but, unfortunately, that leaves no room for him to bother singing consonants, making it difficult to understand what he was singing. That being typed, I was surprised by how strong Craig's upper range was, I think when he went up, he actually sounded better than James.
Unfortunately, for the majority of the song, he stayed in his lower register, while James was consistently strong, but not exciting, in his vocal sweetspot. James has the look, the beard, the flannel shirt, and the sound of a modern, male country star. There were moments when he opened up and had an impressive run, but I felt he played the majority of the song extremely safe.
Team Gwen: Taylor John Williams vs. Amanda Lee Peers
Song: "Jolene" by Dolly Parton
Six-Word Review: Detached Talent Beats Intense, Limited Performance
Should Advance: Taylor John Williams
Did Advance: Taylor John Williams
Save: Not this time
Before we talk about the performances, can I ask if Taylor was auditioning for the musical version of BENNY & JOON?
There was something very authentic and intense about Amanda's performance, but her voice was extremely limited. At the top of her range she lost breath support and went into an uncontrolled vibrato. Her stage presence and performance made her an extremely viable choice, but when commitment is your strongest suit on THE VOICE, that's not a good sign.
However, there is a professionalism and overall skill level that Taylor has that made this choice pretty easy. The fact that he seems to be extremely detached from what he is singing could make it difficult for him to connect to fans and voters in later rounds, but for now, Taylor was the only choice.
Team Pharrell: Luke Wade vs. Griffin
Song: "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney
Six-Word Review: Please, sing the dang song, guys.
Should Advance: Griffin
Did Advance: Luke Wade
Save: Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani
New Team: Blake Shelton
This is one of my absolute favorite love songs of all-time, and both of these guys used it to display some incredible vocal gymnastics, but man, I kind of hated it. Yes, they were both good, but both singers were far more interested in riffing and showing off, than actually singing the song. Then again, all of the music inductry professional coaches loved it, so what do I know?
I felt like Luke's delivery was extremely choppy and lacked basic musicality. He had an interesting, unique quality, and he sounded good enough, but a perceived arrogance and his resistance to sing the melody turned me off pretty quickly.
However, Griffin did pretty much the same thing. Now, normally, I am predisposed to NOT like any singer who goes by one name before he or she has at least one Gold Record, but when Griffin jumped up an entire octave and sounded even better than he did before, he proved to me that he was a better technical singer, with a bigger bag of vocal tricks.
Both guys showed an insane amount of talent, but if Pharrell can't reign these guys in, can any one keep them under control?
My Performance Rankings of the Night
1) James David Carter
2) Sugar Joans
3) Craig Wayne Boyd
4) Jean Kelley
5) Griffin
6) Luke Wade
7) Taylor John Williams
8) Chris Jamison
9) Mayia Sykes
10) Elyjuh René
11) Amanda Lee Peers
12) Jonathan Wyndham
So, what do you think? Did the coaches keep the right contestants? Did they make the right steals? Let me know what you think in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt. Also, don't forget to follow @BWWTVWorld on Twitter and Like us on Facebook for all of the latest TV news, reviews, and recaps.
Photo Credit: Trae Patton | NBC
Video Credit: THE VOICE's Official YouTube Page
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