So here we are... the blind auditions of The Voice have finally come to an end, after five long episodes. And even though the saying goes "save the best for last," The Voice didn't necessarily follow that pattern, filling out the last two hours of auditions with strong singers, though even the best of the best weren't particularly noteworthy.
We had our first teeny heartthrob of the season, some really weak boy band wannabes and girls with more sass in their pinky toe than most people have in their whole bodies. To call the final auditions episode a mixed bag would be an exaggeration.
And, of course, the four superstar coaches, Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine continued to battle it out in the friendliest of ways. With Pharrell putting in far and away the most effort to cater to singers (not like there's anything wrong with that!).
Oh, and for those who LOVE bad social media... it's always been hyper clear that the coaches' Twitter accounts get taken over by NBC execs during the show, as they echo made jokes for their millions of followers. But this week, the timing was off, so the coaches' would throw out references to things their fans and fans of The Voice would know nothing about. It was awfsome (awful/awesome).
Regardless of the social snafu, we're here for the singers... so check out the best, worst and only so-so performers of the night:
The Good:
Brittany Butler, "The Girl from Ipanema": There's something really captivating about a performer who can wind her way around a beat, and Brittany Butler can do just that. There's a distinctive sassiness to Butler's performance, as she sauntered across the stage, pointing to the coaches as they turned their chairs - that's confidence, folks! Butler also managed to sing mostly with her throat, but it wasn't overwhelming... she was still calm and collected. A girl this feisty just couldn't live anywhere besides Team Pharrell, and despite Gwen's best (nice) efforts, she went with him.
Fernanda Bosch, "I Try": There's always something really cool about hearing Macy Gray's massive '90s hit "I Try..." maybe chalk it up to nostalgia. And The Voice contestant Fernanda Bosch brought some freshness to the well-known single, injecting some much needed jazz and soul into the mix. She was very calm, cool and collected, which is really the key to breezing it through such a high-pressure audition. There's some whispery breaths in her timbre, but it really just works nicely all around. She joined Team Blake in a different twist.
Mayra Alvarez, "Human Nature": This beauty made Michael Jackson's hit "Human Nature" nearly unrecognizable, with dozens of melodic twists and turns... but then again, she made it all her own. The best thing to say about Mayra Alvarez's performance was that it was truly effortless. She was breezy, airy and light, almost floating across the stage with a comfortable confidence. Mixed with her deep, heady voice and she's just a total natural. In the final battle between Gwen and Blake, the ladies won it out and Alvarez grabbed the final Team Gwen T-shirt.
The Bad:
Ryan Sill, "Secrets": Ugh, this guy. Maybe it's just the fact that his family sings in rounds while making dinner (do we really need to harmonize about fajitas?), but there's something really irritating about Ryan Sill. So, when he went for the generic ballad "Secrets" by OneRepublic, like, yeah, it was really obvious. As for the vocals, Sill seems like he would fit in well in a boy band. Maybe chalk it up to his all-American looks or his insanely broad shoulders, but he just feels like he could be in the next One Direction. His register features some real weaknesses, and at one point there was a really grating high note, but, you know, he's cute. Team Gwen.
Matt McAndrew, "A Thousand Years": It was a nice, slow and quiet kick off to the final blind auditions episode of the voice, as Matt McAndrew got the day started with a sweet turn on Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years." With Harry Potter glasses and a mop of curly brown hair, McAndrew was a ball of adorableness as he performed the heartwarming track, but was really just totally passable. He had a nice mid-range voice, but some serious weaknesses in his upper register and his louder volumes. When he tried to go for it, he cracked. But, he was good enough to turn a few chairs, and he rightfully ended up on Team Adam.
The So-So:
Beth Spangler, "Best Thing I Never Had": Well, this was the final contestant to get four chair turns on The Voice... OKAY. Beth Spangler took on Beyoncé's "Best Thing I Never Had," which admittedly is a difficult song to tackle - I mean, it's Beyoncé! Though the actual meat of Spangler's voice was pretty sweet, nice and, well, other generic adjectives, she did manage to inject a lot of pain and emotion into her performance. Maybe it's her past (with a heavily injured dad she had to care for) or just a good performer, but Spangler could turn her typical voice into something a little more special. After a major battle, which included a creepy stare-off with Pharrell, Spangler landed the final spot on Team Adam.
Griffin, "It's A Beautiful Day": The singularly named Griffin is a deep baritone with a serious (and odd) love of bow ties. This guy, at one point, made a living selling the accessory. So, there's that. It's completely fitting that this dude would sing a Michael Buble song because, well, he sounds quite a bit like Buble - and that's obviously a major compliment. He is, however, quite a bit peppier than his crooning idol and he lacks a bit of the richness. Because he loves fashion so much, Griffin ran over to Team Pharrell without a second thought, completing the very eclectic team.
Justin Johnes, "Let Her Go": Holy Justin Bieber Batman! I mean, these youngsters even share the same name... so let's just get all these comparisons out of the way. Justin Johnes covers popular songs on YouTube, is a ripe 15 years old and has the hair and earring that will make any tweenage girl swoon... sound like someone familiar? It's smart for The Voice to have someone like Johnes on its show... if you can pull in those enthusiastic fan girls, you have golden ratings and social followings for as long as these dudes are on the show. His voice is solid, despite the kind of bumps a young teen will have, Johnes showed a lot of control. Oddly enough, he filled out Team Blake and ended the blind auditions on a swoon-worthy note.
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