The Voice 5: Top 10

Not sure if I was just holding a very high expectation of everyone - especially after the fantastic performances last week - but none of the performances tonight were anything to brag about. There was just way too much kumbaya around the campfire from most of them, the song choice were odd, and these contestants need to practice their lower register. I wouldn't be surprised if we get a shock boot tomorrow with a lackluster night all around.

Anyway, here we go!

10. James Wolpert
Without You
[TEAM ADAM]
Whoa! Why this song? It's a tough song to sing and I didn't think James had a chance of pulling it off. Sure, he had some nice vocal moments, but for the most part, his transitions were jarring and he did hit a few bum notes that were seriously noticeable. I don't know. James has officially lost his touch. A Case of You was fantastic, but since then, he's been on a free fall. Sad. 4

09. Austin Jenckes
Your Love
[TEAM BLAKE]
LACKLUSTER. The song choice just didn't do him any favors. Look, Your Love is a fine song and he actually sounded decent with a couple of rough patches here and there, but no one will remember this after a couple of hours. What was so special about this performance then? Nothing. 5

08. Jacquie Lee
Clarity
[TEAM CHRISTINA]
Uh oh. I was seriously looking forward in hearing Jacqui tackle something more subtle and quieter as I figured it would be a wonderful change, but this actually exposed her vocal limitations. She can't seem to stay on pitch on a more nuanced melody compared to when she beat the notes to death. She looked like she was struggling with the song when it should've been more effortless, and it just didn't sound right. Maybe she should go back to yelling, and that's not a good thing. Haha. 5

07. Cole Vosbury
To Be With You
[TEAM BLAKE]
The song choice was a clunker, the sound mix was terrible - those background singers sounded like they were singing a different arrangement - and his vocals though good enough was a little underwhelming. I don't know. Everything about this just screamed blah. I have a funny feeling though that people will eat this up just like how America bought The Swon Brothers' Danny's Song. Haha. 5.5

06. Will Champlin
Love Me Again
[TEAM ADAM]
The song was a little repetitive, and it would've been better if Will infused some of his grit into the performance, but he did much better than I expected. It's an exteremely tough song to sing as this seemed a lot rangy than his usual songs, but he sort of pulled it off nicely. Not his best performance though. 6

05. Ray Boudreaux
You Are The Best
[TEAM BLAKE]
Is it bad that I keep on forgetting Ray? Haha. This was nothing spectacular, but pleasant enough for me to smack him right in the middle of my list. I just wish he would pull out something less predictable than this. You Are The Best, for sure, is a nice ditty, but it's not something that would make him stand out in this talented bunch. 6.5

04. Caroline Pennell
Leaving On A Jet Plane
[TEAM CEE LO]
Cee Lo just managed to beat his record for being the worst song picker EVER! Leaving On A Jet Plane? Really? Indeed, her vocals were mostly good - save for the last long note at the end - and I liked that she slightly changed some of her phrasing compared to the original, but as much as I love myself some Caroline Pennell, this performance was a complete snooze backed by a ridiculously schmaltzy stage graphics. Haha. Let's just hope this will sell well on iTunes. 6.5

03. Tessanne Chin
If I Were Your Woman
[TEAM ADAM]
She needed a showstopper, and this just wasn't it. To be fair though, If I Were Your Woman was hands down one of the better vocal performances tonight, but there's a massive disconnect from her flawless vocals to it's overall impact. I don't know. Maybe she's coming off WAY too polished that it's almost boring. I guess, she needs to change it up and do something radical. 7

02. Kat Robichaud
We Belong
[TEAM CEE LO]
HAHA. Say what you want about her shaky vocal in spots, BUT this was absolutely one - if not the only - entertaining performance of the whole episode. I thought Kat would be dead on arrival at this point, but she managed to pull off another good performance. Her vocals weren't that bad, the staging looked awesome, and the drama of it all was delicious! I don't think this will propel her to a contender status, but she puts on a show and that's what I like about her. 7

01. Matthew Schuler
Beneath Your Beautiful
[TEAM CHRISTINA]
Matthew didn't meet my high expectations for him on this song - weak lower register - but relative to the other performances, this was by far the best one. When he hit his sweet spot, it's game over. It would've been better if he didn't move a lot after the first verse, but I digress. 7.5

PREDICTION

Austin Jenckes

Kat Robichaud