The Voice 5 – Blind Auditions 4 – Recap and Videos

The Voice 5 Blind Auditions continue! I’ll be live blogging them right here.

Tonight’s blind auditions had some standouts, but it appears that the first week was front loaded with talent. My favorites tonight were Stephanie Anne Johnson, the bluesy  guitar player who offered some Tracy Chapman/Joan Armatrading realness and pop singer/computer nerd, Ashley DuBose. Ashley, in particular seems to have it going on.  Anyone who manages to put themselves through school as a single mom, go on to work in a demanding high tech job, and manage to pursue music on the side, has what it takes to navigate the tricky waters of the music business.  Stephanie is a breath of fresh air and old school all at once. My eye is on both of them.

The rest. Eh. There were some head-scratching decisions.  I would have put through the cute teen rapper, Macey Estes before that personality free Buble wannabe, Sam Cerniglia. Ditto for the pageant princess, Carrie Underwood clone, Olivia Henken.  It probably doesn’t matter, though.  They both stink of cannon fodder.

The returnee, James Irwin, who got all four coaches to turn in like a second, seemed like a total set up to me. Redemption stories are delicious. The kid who failed comes back the next year completely triumphant. He was good, but not 4 chairs spin in a second good. I’ll be curious to see how long he lasts.

Speaking of country singers. I don’t expect an all country final like we got last season. Blake has been noticeably picky about the country artists he chooses for his team, and I suspect his favorite from another genre.  I don’t get the sense the other coaches are very serious about the country singers they’ve picked for their teams either.

First a blah blah recap. What happened last night? Well, just check out our recap and you’ll know!

Click to Download iTunes Performances from The Voice

Oh. It’s a plant! Carson Daly extends an invite to the son of a semi-known musician, Bill Champlin of Chicago and The Sons of Champlin.

Will Champlin – “Not Over You” – His dad was a keyboardist for legendary 70s group, Chicago. He’s married and has a baby. He’s making a living from music, but wants to take it to the next level. On stage, he’s dorky in white framed glasses and suspenders. He’s got a pleasant tenor voice. I’d describe it as bland HAC. But, hey–there’s a market for that. He learned something from his dad.  Despite a thin voice, he somehow gets all the boys to turn around. Adam thinks his voice is spectacular. He of the thin voice himself. Blake loved his passion. He said he probably has to wear suspenders to keep his pants on, because he sang his ass off. Ultimately, Will chooses Team Adam. Adam compares him to Michelle Chamuel. Hm.

Macey Estes – “The Way” – She sang and danced in her room by herself and eventually became a show choir kid, but there’s more than that to her! She’s just graduated from high school, and ready to chase her dreams of becoming a pop/hip hop artist. She’s hoping that Christina turns around. OK. I was skeptical, but this kid is actually pretty good. Still raw around the edges, but her voice is strong and she’s got some swag. Someone should turn around. C’mon! She’s a little pitchy but I like her tone. Aw. They’ve turned for worse. Christina was looking for an extra special moment. A REAL HIGH NOTE. Ugh. She was better than Briana Cuoco. As a parting gift, Macey sings a cute rap she wrote for The Voice. She should audition for X Factor. Simon would love her. No Turns

Stephanie Anne Johnson – “Black Horse and a Cherry Tree” – Stephanie has grandma with her! She studied classical voice and Opera and loves all types of music. She got a job working on a cruise ship in Alaska. She feels the experience has been amazing. She spends so much time out to sea, she misses stuff. She wants to get back on land and reconnect. Her grandma is cute!  Stephanie is a real surprise on stage. More blues than R&B, she’s got an interesting vibe. Love her tone and phrasing. Just enough growl in just the right places. Cee Lo and Christina turn their chairs. Adam loves her attitude. Cee Lo is surprised at what he sees. Stephanie loves indie soul music. That’s her genre! It turns out she went to school with Vicki Martinez. Stephanie is bonding big time with Cee Lo. Christina offers some blah blah, but I think Cee Lo is the guy for her. Oh. Stephanie Ann chooses Team Christina. Interesting. She reminds me a little of Joan Armatrading. Me likey.

Sam Cerniglia – “It’s a Beautiful Day” – He works in customer service for groupon, but works weddings, etc on the side. His siblings are both fighting serious diseases.  Aw. His mom and sister wishes him luck on his audition via video chat. His performance is super cornball. It’s a Michael Buble deal, but without the jazz chops. Nice guy but super bland. His outfit is horrible. This is so karaoke. Inexplicably, Cee Lo and Blake turn around. Huh. He’s got to be fodder. Cee Lo and Blake pledge to fight for him. Blake loves his style. He compares him to Buble. Cee Lo thinks his style is mature and sophisticated. I’m scratching my head over their love for Blandy McBlanderson. Sam chooses Team Blake. NOT surprising. Cee Lo probably scares the hell out of him.

Jennifer Newberry – “Locked Out of Heaven” – Jennifer’s dad was an American exchange student. When her parents split, she went with mom to Sweden. She connected to America through music. Now, she lives in Seattle.  She barely has an accent. Her family wishes her good luck all the way from Europe via video chat, and she cries. You’re so mean, Carson. Oh my. This performance is not good. Her vocal, breathy and blah, goes nowhere.  She sounds really really nervous. No one turns around. Honestly, based on that performance, she needs to re-think her career goals. Adam and Cee Lo like her voice, but advise her to do some work. Blake thinks she picked the wrong song. Christina was looking for her to put her own stamp on it. Jennifer leaves the stage in tears. No Turns

Cue the parade of losers who are gently let down by the coaches.

James Irwin – “Losing My Religion” – He auditioned last year, didn’t get any chairs to turn. He and his wife lost their baby moments after birth. He’s been focusing on his music all year, and now he’s ready to try again.  I can’t remember his 1st audition, but this performance is turn worthy–and indeed, all 4 judges turn almost immediately. He was solid, but not THAT good.  Good song choice for James, who has a soulful rock voice.  It allows him to connect and deliver a passionate performance. Adam notes that it’s the first time an artist came back and got 4 chairs to turn. He thinks there are still issues to work on, however. Christina and Cee Lo weren’t on the panel for his first go around, so he can’t blame them for his failure last season.  Adam and Blake recognize the hard work he’s put in to improve. They are ready to work with him.  But James ain’t mad.  James chooses Team Adam

Olivia Henken – “Two Black Cadillacs” – She’s been singing since she was a kid, including lots of competitions and contests. She’s got a total pageant vibe and describes mom as a total “momager,” and herself as a blond country singer. Yikes.  Channeling, Carrie Underwood, she sings one of her recent hits without bringing anything new to the performance.  It’s pure competition karaoke. The girl should have spent more time developing her artistry rather than competing for every prize under the sun. Christina turns immediately. Really?  She’s pretty mediocre. Cee Lo turns too. He could probably tell she was pretty. Christina felt the power in her voice.  Blake didn’t turn around, and it’s becoming clear he’s not interested in bringing up another country singer. “I will put you in some different positions,” says Cee Lo, pretending to talk about music. . 0_O. And her family laughed at that. So creepy. Olivia chooses Team Christina “She’s like Barbie!” says Christina. Is that supposed to be a compliment?

Jason Kertson – “Lips of an Angel” – He learned guitar in the weeks after he was suspended from school. He can play 2 guitars at once and became a You Tube star. A dude from Megadeath reached out to him. OMG. Danger. Hinder ahead.  Worst song choice ever, and he’s pitchy on top of it.  This guy is not grabbing me, although he’s got a nice rasp on the high end. He’s young–only 16–and hasn’t developed an individual style. He needs to work on those vocals.  Blake thought it was powerful at the beginning, but he didn’t take it anywhere.  The coaches tell him to keep working on it, yada yada yada. The coaches were expecting someone older and burlier. Blake hopes he comes back. No Turns.

R. Anthony – “Hall of Fame” – He and his brothers worked in a gospel trio. When he began a family, he quit. He wife encouraged him to get back in the game. He’s all teary talking about his family. He’s got your standard R&B voice.  His song choice is interesting. His performance is not. He spoke of  his shyness and quiet personality in his video package, which helps explain why he has no star quality, I suppose. Christina turned, and then Cee Lo at the very very last second.  Christina loves his runs. She wants him so bad, she co-opts Blake’s finger pointing. But, alas.  R. Anthony chooses Team Cee Lo

Now for a montage of POOR POOR CANNON FODDER. Keaira LaShae goes to Team Adam, Amber Nicole goes to Team Christina, Emily Randolph goes to Team Blake.

Justin Chain – “She’s Country” – He’s a country sanger. I’ll bet anything that he LOVES TRUCKS. Sports was his thing in high school. He was set to play college football, until he broke his back and a bunch of other stuff in a terrible motorcycle accident. His experience taught him that life is precious. He’s not going to waste a minute. YEP HE’S SINGING ABOUT CHICKS AND TRUCKS. Blake turns immediately.  He’s got a decent voice, that probably sounds fantastic recorded. Nice, clear tone. The others, though, aren’t really interested. Blake calls the rest idiots. He’s marketable, for sure, considering the stuff that’s played on country radio these days. Justin is on Team Blake

Ashley Dubose – “Diamonds” – She grew up in a single parent home, is one herself, and is working as a computer programmer analyst. Plus she pursues music. This chick is impressive. She breaks down talking about how thin she’s stretched. She juggles a lot! She wants to concentrate on music.  She’s got a great pop voice, so clear and full of passion. It doesn’t hurt that she’s stunning. A potential star, she makes this piece of crap Rihanna song sound epic. When she hit a big note in the chorus, the coaches couldn’t turn around fast enough. Cee Lo thinks Rihanna is a great singer. COUGHCOUGH. Christina is impressed that she sang so flawlessly. Blake feels he can make her the best she can be. Adam wants to dethrone Blake. He thinks he can win with her. Cee Lo boasts that he keeps in touch with his teams. She thought she knew who she’d pick coming in. And for a minute she considered going with Cee Lo. But Adam’s little speech about her being a winner, must have left an impression. Ashley chooses Team Adam.

One more week of the Blind Auditions! Join us next week.

About mj santilli 34829 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!