The Voice 5: Live Playoffs Part 2

Wait, did these coaches get a memo about canning the happy talk? Because otherwise, I don't understand why they're criticizing some people tonight after the travesty yesterday that were Nic Hawk and Grey! But whatever.

Tonight, the performances were a lot better although a bit underwhelming compared to last season. I must say though that Christina probably assembled the best team this season. I'm not underestimating Adam's team, but the most marketable performers are in Ms. Aguilera's team.

As for Cee Lo, he just broke his own record as the worst song picker EVER! At first, I thought he must really Amber for the song choice, but if all of his song choices for his team were equally bad, I guess, he's not really messing anyone up no? Haha. Good one, Cee Lo! But still.

Anyway, here we go!

TEAM CEE LO

5. Amber Nicole
Wasting All These Tears
Really Cee Lo? Why give her a country song? Oh, and that's right! Let's harp on how she missed that one note when Nic Hawk completely destroyed Blurred Lines and found their way to praise it somehow. No, Amber's vocals weren't perfect - in fact, she hit a lot of flat notes and it was probably the wrong key for her - but this was better than Nic or even Grey's performance last night. There's so much potential and somehow Cee Lo managed to kill it with this awful song choice. Where's Usher when you need him? 5

4. Tamara Chauniece
I Will Survive
PURE KARAOKE. I have absolutely no idea why Cee Lo chose this song for her - maybe he hates her? - but as good as Tamara's voice, she's stucked with this awful song choice. It's overdone, dated, and she didn't even try to do something about the arrangement to make it sound fresh. It was just that. A competent karaoke version of an old fashioned song. 6

3. Jonny Gray
Bittersweet Symphony
I don't know what's worse, an annoyingly predictable song choice or something pulled out of nowhere but did absolutely NOTHING for the contestant. Look, Bittersweet Symphony is a nice song, but not for a show like this. The monotonous beat and melody didn't go anywhere, which made the performance underwhelming for the most part. Yes, Jonny managed to showcase still his unique tone, but that's about it. Ugh. 6

2. Kat Robichaud
She Keeps Me Warm
This chick is whack, and I love it! Haha. Somehow, I appreciated the song choice as I was expecting more upbeat with a ton of energy and completely went the other way with something more restrained, but how I wish Kat executed it well. I thought her vocals had moments, but it was uneven in parts. She was struggling to hit her lower register and that was a bit problematic. Then again, it was better and more interesting than most of her teammates, so I digress. 6.5

1. Caroline Pennell
We're Going To Be Friends
Dare I say, Caroline is possibly a league above all the other quirks that joined The Voice - yes, even better than Melanie Martinez and Dia Frampton. There's a quality to her voice that's like velvet to my ears and she just has this ability to draw people in with her voice - and that's a gift! Plus, how she managed to maintain perfect breath control with all the words was quite impressive. With the right people behind her, Caroline can seriously blow up. 8

TEAM CHRISTINA

5. Josh Logan
Crazy
Blech. Aside from the fact that his enunciation was terrible on this song, his inflections sounded too affected and his runs were way too much. I felt like I had an overdose of those embellishments. Hated this version of Crazy. Sorry. 4

4.  Olivia Henken
Roar
Yup. X Factor US beat you to it! Haha. That's not saying much as that version wasn't all that, but between Restless Road and Olivia Henken, I'd rather hear the boys again. I was hoping Olivia would be able to pull this off. But, alas, no. She switched keys unintentionally a couple of times and she was either flat or sharp the entire song. Plus, she sounded like she was struggling with her breathing. I don't know. 4.5

3. Stephanie Anne Johnson
Georgia On My Mind
She needed work on her diction, but this was relatively a good performance. Her vocals were mostly spot on and her delivery was good. How I wish the arrangement was a little subdued and intimate, but I digress. I'd rather have this than the mess that was Josh Logan. 6.5

2. Jacquie Lee
I Put A Spell On You
Who knew? Yes, her performance was a bit over-the-top in places and her high notes were a bit shrill, but she was a revelation Her tone sounded like a mix of Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone and her range was actually quite outstanding. This was actually a pretty riveting version of the song. Very nice. 8

1. Matthew Schuler
Wrecking Ball
MATTHEW IS A STAR! I sat here watching him destroy Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball and I thought he delivered one of the best performances in the two Live Playoff shows! His modulation was outstanding, some of the vocal choices were good, that range was to die for, and his delivery was powerful. Good job. 9

PREDICTIONS

 Team Cee Lo

Caroline Pennell

Kat Robichaud

Jonny Gray

 Team Christina

Matthew Schuler

Jacqui Lee

Olivia Henken