Saturday, September 22, 2012

The Voice Season 3: Week 2 of Blind Auditions as Impressive as Week 1

Starting off week two was Melanie Martinez who came out not only was a fresh look but a fresh voice. She is different from anyone else that's been on the show so far. I also loved her version of Toxic by Britney Spears; it initially didn't even sound like that song when she started singing it.
Who did she choose? Adam
Would I choose her for my team? I would because she dares to be herself without reservation.

And now came the segment of the show where they showed us some contestants (the next three) who advanced but we didn't see complete performances or judges' remarks, thus making it difficult to decide whether or not we agree with them advancing.

Adrianna Duru sang Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga
Who did she choose? Adam
Would I choose her for my team? Afraid not

Kelly Crapa sang Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift
Who did she choose? Blake
Would I choose her for my team? Out of the three that we hardly got to see, this young lady seemed to have the most potential. I'd like to hear her again, but I am tempted to say "yes".

Paulina sang You Make Me Feel So by Cobra Starship
Who did she choose? Christina
Would I choose her for my team? No, why did Christina choose her? I'm not impressed.

Single father Brian Scartocci put on an impressive show, voice and dance moves included when he performed Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder. It's always a risk to do a Stevie song and Brian certainly did this one justice.
Who did he choose? Adam
Would I choose him for my team? Brian is "wonder"ful, I would absolutely love having him on my team.

Husband and wife duo, Beat Frequency definitely work well together, my issue is that their voices, particularly the wife's, are not strong enough. I give them props for choosing a song as difficult as E.T. by Katy Perry; that is not an easy song to sing.
Who did they choose? Christina
Would I choose them for my team? I want to say yes because I like their passion, but I want to say no because they need too much work.

Country singer Liz Davis came out and absolutely rocked Gretchen Wilson's Here for the Party. I loved her voice and loved her energy on stage, this is one of my favorite performances from the whole season. She's another person who deserved a four chair turn.
Who did she choose? Blake
Would I choose her for my team? I'm here to win, so Liz Davis needs to be on my team.

J.R. Aquino did Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars; I am still debating how good this performance was. There's a part of me that thinks that Bruno Mars is so hot right now that anyone who has the confidence to try it deserves to be in. There was also something that sounded a bit karaoke about this performance.
Who did he choose? CeeLo
Would I choose him for my team? I'd need to hear him again to make a final decision.

It's been a while since I heard a singer who brought the 80s sound back full fledged and that's what Nicholas David did when he sang Ben E. King's Stand by Me for his audition. David sounded like a cross between James Taylor and Aaron Neville. It will be interesting if he gets through the battle rounds if America is going to pick up the phone and vote for him.
Who did he choose? CeeLo
Would I choose him for my team? There's something soothing and peaceful about his voice that leads me to say yes.

Hailing from the famed "Fame" school in Laguardia, New York 17 year old Alessandra Guercio blew the judges away with her take on The Climb by Miley Cyrus. I think Alessandra has such a natural ability that does need some polishing, but the talent is all there. She's the complete package in my opinion, a rare find today. I am expecting a lot from her going forward.
Who did she choose? Adam
Would I choose her for my time? Alessandra is a quick and confident yes for me.

Completely untrained vocally, 16 year old Avery Wilson left the judges speechless when he sang Without You by Usher. This kid has chops and he has the drive, confidence, and eagerness to go all the way in this competition. I was honestly shocked when he said he was only 16 years old; the poise and maturity that he displayed in the performance is definitely something that cannot be bought.
Who did he choose? CeeLo
Would I choose him for my team? "Without" Avery on my team, I don't think I'd fare as well. CeeLo may win the whole thing this year.

Collin McLaughlin made the right decision dropping out of grad school one credit short, at least for the time being. His soothing voice was just perfect on Wild World by Cat Stevens.
Who did he choose? Adam
Would I choose him for my team? I think before I commit, I'd like to hear him again, battle rounds here we come!

Here is another set of three quick performances, none of which I was too convinced about.......

Emily Earle sang Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash
Who did she choose? CeeLo
Would I choose her for my team? No, this version of Ring of Fire sounded a bit dismal.

Ben Taub sang Feelin Good by Michael Buble
Who did he choose? CeeLo
Would I choose him for my team? Only if he doesn't sound like he's trying to copy Michael Buble in every song he sings.

Todd Kessler sang Maggie May by Rod Stewart
Who did he choose? CeeLo
Would I choose him for my team? No, this performance seemed to forced and staged.

Josselyn Rivera tackled a tough song in Kelly Clarkson's Stronger. Anytime you choose a Kelly Clarkson song, it's tough because she has that huge powerful voice, and Josselyn totally lived up to it. I didn't feel the need to draw comparisons because she sounded like herself. I think she has the desire to go further in this competition.
Who did she choose? Christina
Would I choose her for my team? You can never be too short on strong female singers, so that's a yes for me.

Rocker Benji decided to take on rock classic Knockin on Heaven's Door by Guns n' Roses. I liked this performance and there aren't a lot of legit rockers in this competition so far, so Benji could really end up faring well. I loved the control that he showed going from the low notes up to the high notes.
Who did he choose? Adam
Would I choose him for my team? I think I would take a chance and say yes because the first performance was that impressive.

There's a reason that Mycle Wastman was the final performer of the night. He certainly deserved to be the main event because when he opened his mouth and sang the first few bars of Let's Stay Together by Al Green, I knew he was the real deal. Mycle is a true, authentic soul singer, and the fact that he doesn't look the part but completely sounds it is just amazing to me. My money is on CeeLo possibly winning season three of The Voice.
Who did he choose? CeeLo
Would I choose him for my team? Yes, yes, yes!


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