The Voice 7 - Live Blog and Recap - The Blind Auditions, Part 4
Welcome to the live blog and recap of "The Blind Auditions, Part 4" on The Voice 2014 Season 7! Coaches Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams, and Gwen Stefani continue to fill up their teams as more singers put it all on the line in the Blind Auditions! Last night's show featured the arrival of some potential contenders to The Voice crown, while introducing us to some unlucky contestants we're likely to see returning for another try in future seasons.
But what about tonight's show? Which singers will get chairs turning? Could the winner be in tonight's group of auditioners?
Add your thoughts in the comments below, and keep refreshing for analysis, thoughts, and videos of the night's blind auditions! Rickey will be posting individual videos as the night rolls on. So let's get this show on the road!
Credit: NBC
RECAP
-We open with coach banter backstage, as Gwen is getting over her "smile headache" from yesterday while Pharrell is thrilled with the process of The Voice. And before we know it, we're off to the first competitor of the night...
KATRIZ TRINIDAD opens the show!
-Katriz is a 15-year-old Filipino girl who is proud of her mother for moving to America from the Philippines to give her family a better life. She's won over 14 championships since the age of 8, and we see footage of her as a little girl, and if she's anywhere near as good now as she was then, we might have a four-chair turnaround on our hands.
-Katriz sings "At Last", and this is INSANE! Seriously, are you kidding me, with these runs?! This girl is incredible. I absolutely cannot believe that Adam didn't turn his chair. It makes him look crazy to be sitting with his back turned while the other three coaches are on their feet.
BLAKE, GWEN, and PHARRELL turn their chairs!
-Pharrell practically loses his mind over Katriz, saying he never dreamed he'd find somebody he wanted for his label this badly. He gets on his knees while on his chair to plead with her to be on his team, saying he's been dreaming of an artist like her. Blake says he's had a lot of luck with teenagers, and tells Katriz she "deserves to win this thing." Gwen feels Katriz is "almost like a perfect singer," but tells her she needs to make her performances feel a little less rehearsed and more natural. Gwen wants to help her strip it down. Pharrell, however, isn't ready to give up, writing out "PLEASE" in giant letters on a Voice notepad. And that seals it...
KATRIZ TRINIDAD chooses PHARRELL WILLIAMS!
-Pharrell says Katriz is the kind of artist labels scan the internet for, and he thanks the show for introducing us all to her. He says, "Katriz is on my team. Today is a great day." Hell, I'd be happy too. This may have been the best audition of the Blinds so far. Just stunning. I just can't imagine how she isn't a frontrunner for the win right now. Or at least to make the live shows.
WATCH: Katriz Trinidad sings 'At Last' (VIDEO)
ETHAN BUTLER is up next!
-Ethan only heard gospel music while growing up, since his father was a pastor. However, his focus has been on secular music in recent years, which took his mother a while to get used to. He moved back home with his parents for the time being, but the bonus is that he gets to spend time with his sister, who has cerebral palsy and autism. She inspires him and reminds him that he can do way more than he even imagines. He's dedicating his performance to her.
-Ethan sings a jazzy version of "Beneath Your Beautiful", and I love his voice. Just a wonderful, silky tone that is among the best of the season so far. That said, I'm not crazy about the song choice or the arrangement. It's kind of a sleepy, relaxed take that was probably more interesting in theory than it's been in execution. Still, this is a killer vocal.
ADAM and BLAKE turn their chairs!
-Adam says it's impressive for Ethan to play guitar like he did while maintaining such high quality vocals. Despite not turning their chairs, Gwen and Pharrell are happy Ethan decided to audition, since he has a terrific voice. Blake also loved the audition and thinks Ethan should be on his team. However, Ethan wants to know what he needs to work on. Blake feels he needs to work on standing out more, while Adam feels Ethan could stand to lose control more, in a good way.
ETHAN BUTLER chooses ADAM LEVINE!
-Awesome choice, although I feel he might have actually been better served choosing Blake, since Blake has no one like him and is unlikely to. But I can't argue against going with a coach like Adam, since I think they'll mesh well.
WATCH: Ethan Butler sings 'Beneath Your Beautiful' (VIDEO)
TANNER LINFORD is up next!
-Tanner is back after failing to get a chair turnaround in Season 6, and a flashback to his audition illustrates why, as his voice wavered on nearly every note. But this was clearly due to nerves. Since last time, he's been asked to sing at fairs and at his prom, and his classmates loved it. He feels he's grown since his last audition, as his voice is deeper and he's a little bit taller. Perhaps this means greater confidence. One can hope, anyway.
-Tanner sings "When You Say Nothing At All", and it's instantly better than his last audition. He sounds more confident, and he has greater control of his voice. He has some terrific notes here, and his voice is very pure and understated. I like him. Unfortunately, he's not getting any chairs to turn. His family is pleading with the coaches to turn a chair, but as the song winds down, it becomes apparent that no one will turn, and his parents heave disappointed sighs. Then, at the absolute last moment...
BLAKE turns his chair!
-Gwen is stunned, since she thought it was a girl singing. She tells Tanner his voice doesn't match his look, but he was a pleasant surprise. Pharrell agrees, saying he was going to say "she poured her heart into it" before realizing it was a guy. Adam is happy for Tanner, saying he knew he could come back and do this. Blake congratulates Tanner and welcomes him to the team, saying he deserves to be here.
TANNER LINFORD is on TEAM BLAKE SHELTON!
-I like Tanner's voice, but I doubt he'll survive the battle rounds. That said, I'm happy that he's being given a shot. He's clearly put in the work, and I've got respect for him for that.
WATCH: Tanner Linford sings 'When You Say Nothing At All' (VIDEO)
ROEM BAUR is up next!
-Roem details his past studying opera. He felt he had only two paths in opera, either as a teacher or as an opera singer. Neither path appealed to him, but the skills he learned in opera translate to rock and roll, and so he's looking to get a chair to turn. His wife and two kids are here to support him as he sings "Pretty Woman," which should be a great choice for his style of singing. Hell, he already kind of has the Roy Orbison look going anyway.
-The verses aren't great, and I think it's partially because his voice seems like it wants to do opera but isn't being allowed to. However, once he reaches the bridge, it really picks up. His got a pretty good rock tone. If only for less of the notes were so dodgy. Unfortunately, no chairs turn for him.
-Adam and the coaches basically agree in their assessment that he seemed to be aping too many of Orbison's vocal stylings and mannerisms, which made it seem like less of a unique performance.
JEAN KELLEY is up next!
-Jean's mom was her biggest supporter, encouraging her to pursue music as a child. However, while stopping at a rest stop during a road trip on the summer before middle school, her mother collapsed in front of her. Turns out, the congenital heart condition she was born with caused her heart to give out. She passed away, and they had to drive all the way back home without her. Man alive, this was a DEVASTATING story. All the feels, man. Still, while the family was devastated by the loss of Jean's mother, Jean continued to pursue music, culminating in her arrival here.
-Jean sings "Already Gone", and it's pretty damn solid. She has such a beautiful upper register, and her breathy high notes really differentiate from other artists of her type. It takes a while for the coaches to really respond to what she does. However, as she slams the final note, she scores a last-minute chair turn from Gwen and Blake.
GWEN and BLAKE turn their chairs!
-Gwen loves Jean's voice and the nuance of it, while Blake talks about being won over by that final note. Jean asks each coach how they plan to help her go all the way, and Blake speaks up by saying, "The same way I helped three other people go all the way." Pharrell notes that either coach would be a great pick for Jean, as they both have the tools to help her grow as an artist. However, she must pick one. After much deliberation...
JEAN KELLEY chooses GWEN STEFANI!
-I like Jean's voice and think she could potentially be this season's Kat Perkins, that pop/rock artist who makes it surprisingly deep into the competition.
WATCH: Jean Kelley sings 'Already Gone' (VIDEO)
CHRIS JAMISON is up next!
-Chris is the campus mailman at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. He's a triplet to two sisters, and has been singing since hearing Beyonce's "Listen" on the radio in fourth grade. His mother encouraged him to "do something with that voice," and he proceeded to pursue musical theater in high school, landing a role as the Pepper Shaker in their production of Beauty and the Beast. While it wasn't the role he was after, he committed to being the best Pepper Shaker he could be. Yet, the entire time, I found myself trying to remember if there even was a Pepper Shaker in Beauty and the Beast.
-Chris sings John Mayer's "Gravity", and this is one of the most surprising auditions of the season so far. I never would have expected such a soulful voice to come out of such a shy-looking guy. There isn't a single note of this that I didn't love. Seriously. His falsetto is crazy. CRAZY! Blake and Pharrell turn their chairs early on, while Adam turns during the falsetto at the bridge. Gwen, however, doesn't turn until the last second. But hey, she still turns. That's all four!
BLAKE, PHARRELL, ADAM, and GWEN turn their chairs!
-Chris lists his influences, including Allen Stone, whom Adam knows personally. Adam says he tried to sign Allen to his label at one point, and uses this as an in-road to sell himself to Chris, saying it's good to be with a coach who understands his influences. Gwen admits that she held out because she wasn't sure, but the truth is that she doesn't have a lot of guys on her team. Pharrell loves how Chris knows when to put the pedal to the metal, comparing him to a race car driver. Meanwhile, Blake feels he can help Chris grow. But so does Adam, saying there's room for improvement, and noting that he can really help Chris. Decisions, decisions...
CHRIS JAMISON chooses ADAM LEVINE!
-Adam is really cleaning up tonight with some stellar pick-ups. Chris is a potential contender, and Adam did well to scoop him up. This has really been a fantastic episode so far, packed with possible frontrunners to go deep into the live shows.
WATCH: Chris Jamison sings 'Gravity' (VIDEO)
CRAIG WAYNE BOYD is up next!
-Craig opted out of schooling in order to pursue music, moving to Nashville from Dallas, and getting a job as a staff writer for EMI Music Publishing. However, his songs weren't really getting picked up, and his career was floundering. He wants to have a career, but he notes he's a full-time dad to his son, Jackson, who is "the coolest kid in the world." Craig talks about how he and Jackson's mother had him out of wedlock and went their separate ways shortly thereafter, although he doesn't go into much further detail. But he's basically a single father now. Craig feels if he can get a chair to turn, it'll validate that he's right to pursue this dream.
-Craig sings "The Whiskey Ain't Workin'", and I'm surprised it takes Blake as long to turn around as it does. That said, I kind of hate how every coach immediately turns to Blake and grins the minute they hear a country voice, as if to say, "That's all you, buddy." If you like a voice, TURN FOR IT! Just because you think Blake is the de facto country choice for these contestants doesn't mean you should just pass on every country voice that comes your way. As if reading my mind, Pharrell slams his button down.
BLAKE and PHARRELL turn their chairs!
-Pharrell didn't know the song, but loved the ad libs Craig used. "You're that good," he says. Blake, however, feels it's weird for Pharrell to praise ad libbing on a song he doesn't know. Either way, he notes the influence Travis Tritt had on his own career, and pleads with Craig to pick him so they can "teach America some country music." Gwen loves Craig's tone, and he admits he was planning on singing the last line to her, which makes Gwen feel even worse about not turning around. Adam, meanwhile, is also a fan of Craig's tone. He tells Pharrell that if he can pull off this steal, he'll be his personal hero. Of course, none can overcome the Blake momentum...
CRAIG WAYNE BOYD chooses BLAKE SHELTON!
-I really did Craig's voice, and totally understand why he picked Blake, although I worry he might get lost in the shuffle among the other country acts Blake will inevitably scoop up. Hopefully, Craig reminds a unique presence on Blake's team by the time the Blind Auditions are over.
WATCH: Craig Wayne Boyd sings 'The Whiskey Ain't Workin'' (VIDEO)
TINI GREY is up next!
-Tini is from the isle of Samoa, and grew up climbing coconut trees and breadfruit trees. They even made fire to cook dinner. He notes that his father was known as the village singer, which he didn't even think about all that much, until his father had a stroke while performing one day. It was in that moment that he realized if his father died then, no one would be around to continue his legacy as a musician. So Tini decided to take up the family mantle and use his own musical talent to continue in his father's footsteps.
-Tini sings "Sara Smile", and it's a really solid, full-bodied voice. There are some shaky parts though, particularly in his upper register. His falsetto also needs some work. However, he's definitely got a lot to work with, so I think he'll have real potential if he comes back. The guy is clearly talented, and although none of the coaches turn for him, he should think about coming back.
-Blake felt his upper register was a bit dodgy, while Adam felt Tini took on a tall order in tackling Hall and Oates. However, they remain positive, overall, on his talent. I really do feel like we'll see him again in a future season.
-After this, we get a brief montage of other contestants who failed to get a chair turn: Jerome Johnson ("Unbreak My Heart"), Sydney Cubit ("Somewhere Only We Know"), and Aaron Pfeiffer ("Don't You Worry Child") missed out on a team spot.
TOIA JONES is up next!
-Toia grew up singing in the church, and her family never missed a Sunday. Whenever she would try to get out of it by claiming sickness, her mother would claim that Jesus would heal her. However, she's dealt with hardship following the loss of her father. She moved back with her mother and formed a band with her boyfriend, looking to pursue music full-time. "Everything is riding on this audition," she says, before heading out to face the music.
-Toia sings Adele's "One and Only", and it's a really good audition, although not necessarily anything unique or new. Every singer should be judged on his or her own merits, but seriously, this is the kind of voice we've heard half a million times on this show before. That said, it's usually a successful style of voice because it's the kind of voice that translates across eras and genres. And Toia is a damn good singer in her genre. So I can see why she gets two chairs turning.
PHARRELL and ADAM turn their chairs!
-Adam likes Toia's lipstick, and she admits to wearing it for him. Pharrell tries to cut him off by rushing Toia's decision. Adam wants Pharrell to back it up for a minute, prompting Pharrell to admit to what he was trying to do. That said, he tells Toia that although Adam is a great artist, he'll be able to uplift her in ways Adam can't. He wants to help build her up, and see to it that she has every opportunity she deserves. Both coaches fight pretty hard for her, but I can't see how Pharrell loses this one. Adam has won too many turnarounds this episode. And, sure enough, although Toia's lips seem to form the word "Adam," she does a fake-out...
TOIA JONES chooses PHARRELL WILLIAMS!
-Toia is an interesting singer with a lot of potential. Yes, her style of singing is well-worn territory on The Voice, but she's very good at what she does, and this style is always going to be popular on shows like this. So this is a great pickup for Pharrell.
WATCH: Toia Jones sings 'One and Only' (VIDEO)
AMANDA LEE PEERS is up next!
-Amanda's family is born-again Christian, and she was brought up in the church. However, her upbringing made it difficult for her to come out to her family as gay. Before long, she felt like she was no longer accepted at her church after coming out, and so she left. Unfortunately, she associated music with church, so she gave music up for a while. But she inevitably decided to pick it back up, forming a band that had a pretty good run. She now performs solo, and has done a number of gigs. Her girlfriend, Sandy, encouraged her to try out for The Voice, and the support means everything to Amanda.
-Amanda sings "Put the Gun Down" by ZZ Ward, and it's a really good vocal that's like a fusion of blues and rock. She's the kind of vocalist who should appeal to Gwen, but who could also fit in nicely on Blake's team. I thought this was a really solid vocal, and I feel I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Amanda is absolutely gorgeous. She looks like a star, even wearing white jeans and plaid.
GWEN turns her chair!
-Gwen loves Amanda, and runs right over to hand her a Team Gwen shirt. Blake flirted with pressing his button, but never did. However, Pharrell openly expresses his regret for not pressing his button, saying that he got so caught up in listening to her sing that he forgot to actually press for her. Adam says he got "Gwen'd", since Gwen scooped Amanda up almost immediately. Amanda doesn't have a choice to make, but I don't think she really cares...
AMANDA LEE PEERS is on TEAM GWEN STEFANI!
WATCH: Amanda Lee Peers sings 'Put the Gun Down' (VIDEO)
-We then get a montage of other artists who successfully scored a chair turn: Gianna Salvato lands on Team Gwen with her rendition of "Glitter in the Air", while Rebekah Samarin's "A Case of You" earns her a spot on Team Adam. Lastly, Grant Ganzer surprises by scoring a spot on Team Blake with his version of "Unaware".
WATCH: Gianna Salvato sings 'Glitter in the Air', Rebekah Samarin sings 'A Case of You', and Grant Ganzer sings 'Unaware' (VIDEO)
JONATHAN WYNDHAM closes the show!
-Jonathan recalls being born with a speech impediment that prevented him from being able to say his "Rs" growing up. However, music helped, and now he's here to audition for The Voice. He jokes about stopping at every Cracker Barrell in the U.S., and Carson finds it an amusing gag. Except it quickly becomes apparent that he's actually not kidding at all. He and his friends really have been visiting every Cracker Barrel restaurant in the United States. Um...so yeah. I love Cracker Barrel as much as the next guy, but I drag my ass trying to get to the one twenty minutes from where I live.
-Jonathan sings "Say Something", and he has a wonderful, deep baritone that is among the better performances of the night. I'm surprised it takes halfway through the song for anyone to turn their chair. But once the chairs start turning, they turn in rapid succession. I really enjoyed this performance, and found Jonathan's nerves and emotion at the end a bit endearing.
BLAKE, GWEN, and ADAM turn their chairs!
-Gwen thinks Jonathan is really cute and has a really great voice, although she feels they can work on his stage presence. But she wants to work with him, just the same. The crowd sees this as flirting, but Adam sticks up for her, prompting Jonathan to note that he's been listening to Adam since he was 12-years-old. However, he says he's been listening to Gwen for just as long. Adam says he feels Jonathan is a good singer, but needs to work on his nerves. But, much like Gwen, he wants to work with Jonathan very badly. Pharrell has no dog in this fight, but praises Jonathan for making the song his own. Blake feels he barely has a chance here, until Jonathan notes he listened to "Ol' Red" before he ever heard of Maroon 5, breaking Adam's heart. Jonathan and Blake bond over their mutual love of Cracker Barrel, and this seems like a done deal. But, in a surprise...
JONATHAN WYNDHAM chooses ADAM LEVINE!
-I feel like Jonathan might get a bit lost in the shuffle on Team Adam, but I think with the right song, he could surprise a lot of people. It's going to take a lot of work to get over those nerves though.
WATCH: Jonathan Wyndham sings 'Say Something' (VIDEO)
-And that's a wrap! But before we go, let's recap...
TEAM ADAM picked up Ethan Butler, Chris Jamison, Rebekah Samarin and Jonathan Wyndham.
TEAM GWEN STEFANI picked up Jean Kelley, Amanda Lee Peers and Gianna Salvato.
TEAM BLAKE SHELTON picked up Tanner Linford, Craig Wayne Boyd and Grant Ganzer.
TEAM PHARRELL WILLIAMS picked up Katriz Trinidad and Toia Jones.
-Each judge has only two spots remaining! Which coach will fill his/her team first? And what did you think of tonight's show? Did the coaches make the right decisions tonight? Did the contestants? Sound off in the comments! Until next week, thanks for joining me for night 4 of The Voice Blind Auditions!