Spoiler Alert! THE VOICE Blind Auditions Night Four Recap 9/30; Full Results!

By: Sep. 30, 2014
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Three down, two to go. There were only two Blind Auditions left coming into tonight, and the four VOICE teams were aleady starting to take shape, a fact that the coaches remind us of multiple times throughout the broadcast. Now that each coach has a substantial stable of singers, they are starting to be a bit pickier on who gets them to hit their buttons. Though I believe that this was hands down (pun intended?) the best Blind Audition of the season, there were still some questionable decisions of the chair-turning variety.

After you read what I thought, leave me your thoughts in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt. I would love to discuss the contestants with you! I will also be back in the morning with photos from each chair-turning performance!


Contestant: Katriz Trinidad
Three-Word Bio: Filipino Pageant Girl
Song: "At Last" by Etta James
Chair Turns: Gwen, Pharrell, Blake
Coach: Pharrell Williams
Three-Word Review: Perfect Singer- What?

I am beginning to think that the sound in the Universal Studios soundstage where they film THE VOICE has much different acoustics than what comes across on TV. I found Katriz to be a decent singer; showing some belting power, and the ability to expertly perform some runs; but I thought she was overly breathy and tinny. She had a tendency to go sharp, and the sound was coming from so far back in her mouth that I thought she was going to swallow it. Then Gwen said that she thought that Katriz was almost "a perfect singer," I immediately let out an audible, "Say what?"

So, who was right? A world-renowned artist who has been selling millions of records for decades, or the guy who critiques reality shows for a living? You tell me:

Contestant: Ethan Butler
Three-Word Bio: Pastor's Son Throwback
Song: "Beneath Your Beautiful" by Labrinth feat. Emeli Sandé
Chair Turns: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton
Coach: Adam Levine
Three-Word Review: Cool, cool customer

This dude was cool. He had an old-school swagger that really made me sit up and take notice. He had a smooth, professional sound that makes me think that he has the ability to jump between genres. He definitely had a palpable soul vibe, but I think his wide range and rich tone showed that he could sing just about anything, and sound album-ready doing it.

Contestant: Tanner Linford
Three-Word Bio: Second Try Teen
Song: "When You Say Nothing At All" by Alison Kraus
Chair Turns: Blake Shelton
Coach: Blake Shelton
Three-Word Review: Pity Cannon Fodder

I hate to say this about a 17-year-old contestant, but I think that he might be the worst singer that we've seen this season. His nerves were incredibly high, but he also lacked any vocal consistency, and his voice sounded like it was always on the edge of cracking. His extended, belted notes were the only highlights, but compared to the rest of his performance, that's not saying much. I am really surprised that Blake turned for him. I would not be surprised if he ends up paired with one of Blake's best in the first Battle Round.

Contestant: Roem Baur
Three-Word Bio: Opera Rock Star
Song: "Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison
Chair Turns: No turns
Three-Word Review: Too Much Technique

I know as a theatre fan, I am supposed to like, or at least appreciate, opera. But, I just don't. It does nothing for me. And while Roem had a certain classic Rock 'n' Roll vibe, every extended note had the vibrato of a trained tenor. It sounded too controlled, too technical, too NOT Rock 'n' Roll.

Contestant: Jean Kelley
Three-Word Bio: Not Gene Kelly
Song: "Already Gone" by Kelly Clarkson
Chair Turns: Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton
Coach: Gwen Stefani
Three-Word Review: Broke the Rule!

If you were around for my AMERICAN IDOL recaps, you know that I believe very deeply in the "Diva Rule." You should not sing Whitney, Mariah, Celine, or Kelly at any point on a reality singing competition. Just don't; it never ends as well as you think it will. While Jean has a very strong voice, you are chasing ghosts whenever you sing something by those legendary artists. While her voice might have sounded better on a song by anyone else, she just sounded like a underwhelming imitation on this Kelly song.

Contestant: Chris Jamison
Three-Word Bio: Triplet Mail Man
Song: "Gravity" by John Mayer
Chair Turns: Four Chair Turn!
Coach: Adam Levine
Three-Word Review: SING White Boy!

Ok, this guy is one of the best of the season so far, AND he goes to college in my hometown! He had technique, he had talent, he had connection. I was on board from the very beginning of his performance, but when he flipped up into his falsetto towards the end of the song, I was shocked at his ability to hit those notes full voice after having already given a fully-realized, emotionally infused performance. And of course the teeny-boppers will love him too. Watch out for this guy, he just might have a shot to win it all.

Contestant: Craig Wayne Boyd
Three-Word Bio: Songwriter Cowboy Daddy
Song: "The Whiskey Ain't Workin" by Travis Tritt and Marty Stuart
Chair Turns: Blake Shelton, Pharrell Williams
Coach: Blake Shelton
Three-Word Review: Authentic Country Rocker

CWB has a grittiness and rowdiness that makes him a perfect fit on Team Blake. He could be ordering Thai takeout and there would automatically be raw emotion dripping from his phone. What's great about that type of singer is that they don't have to be technically perfect. They can go off pitch at times, but with just a bit of a growl, it actually make the song better. I think Craig is going to be a lot of fun to watch.

Contestant: Tini Grey
Three-Word Bio: Singing Samoan Architect
Song: "Sara Smile" by Hall & Oates
Chair Turns: No Turns
Three-Word Review: Better Than Many

Aw man, that's too bad. Tini was so much better than some of the singers that actually got chosen. I hate that he kind of got squeezed out because the teams are over halfway formed. If he would have been in one of the earlier episodes, I think he would have gotten at least one chair to turn around.

Contestant: Toia Jones
Three-Word Bio: Struggling, Hungry Musician
Song: "One and Only" by Adele
Chair Turns: Pharrell Williams, Adam Levine
Coach: Pharrell Williams
Three-Word Review: Blow, Girl, Blow!

The one word that kept going through my mind during Toia's song was "Dynamics." She had the soft, sensitive moments, but she also had the big, wide open notes as well. So often, artists that have the belting ability that she has, overly rely on that skill, and ignore the other aspects of their voice. Toia didn't fall victim to that though. She is has the total vocal package. I am excited to see what kind of challenges Pharrell presents her with.

Contestant: Amanda Lee Peers
Three-Word Bio: Back to Music
Song: "Put the Gun Down" by ZZ Ward
Chair Turns: Gwen Stefani
Coach: Gwen Stefani
Three-Word Review: Spunky, Soulful Original

Amanda was really cool. She had an incredible amount of spunk and personality that was folded into every aspect of her performance. I mean it didn't hurt that she was also incredibly talented either. She brings such a different collection of talents than nearly any other person in the competition. She had a very authentic originality that showed that she not only knew who she was, but was invested in exploring all aspects of her abilities. While I definitely think that she deserved more chair turns than she got, I am confident that Team Gwen is exactly where she needs to be.

Contestant: Jonathan Wyndham
Three-Word Bio: Crackle Barrel Devotee
Song: "Say Something" by Great, Big World
Chair Turns: Four Chair Turn!
Coach: Adam Levine
Three-Word Review: Dude KILLED It!

As soon as Jonathan said that he was singing "Say Something," I got nervous. That is one tough song, but I have to say, he not only nailed the song's wide-open vocals, but he also delivered on the song's requisite pain and regret too. Despite being a professional session and touring musician, he was shaking throughout; which honestly probably added to the emotions in the song. I was thoroughly impressed by him, and agree that he does have a certain Superman look. If Jonathan continue to deliver performances like that, we should be voting for him in a few weeks.


So, did you see any potential winners tonight? 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: Tyler Golden | NBC



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