Wednesday, December 11, 2013

The Sing-Off 4: Top 10

The Sing Off, possibly my other favorite reality singing competition - next to American Idol - is officially back! This underrated show tops everything else! The groups this year are just as talented as the previous seasons, the production is still top notch, and the judging panel with Ben Folds, Shawn Stockman and Jewel is probably the best EVER.

ALL of them know their stuff and they give articulate, precise and detailed criticisms without being harsh. And to be perfectly honest, I didn't think I'd enjoy Jewel as much as the very charismatic Sara Bareilles, but she impressed me so much, I honestly didn't mind her presence. Can I say the second ever useful female judge next to Sara?

GROUP 1

05. The Princeton Footnotes
I Knew You Were Trouble.
This somehow didn't work for me. I thought the arrangement was a bit messy, I didn't think the lead singer's voice suited the song to great effect, and it sounded too chorale in spots. I don't know. Maybe a better song choice and a lead singer would've served them well. 6.5

04. Street Corner Renaissance
What Makes You Beautiful
They're obviously a talented group and they're actually a good doo wop group, but if I'm being perfectly honest, their style was just ultimately dated - even with a song choice from One Direction didn't help. Vocally, their harmonies were tight and the solos were lovely, but they're just not my cup of tea. 7

03. Home Free
Cruise
Ok. This was a pretty authentic and straightforward performance. I don't think these guys have a lot of depth, but they managed to pull off whatever they have. The key change was a little too strong for my taste though, but I digress. 7.5

02. Calle Sol
Pon De Replay
Not going to lie, this performance wasn't all that as I thought the performance was a bit sparse in terms of sound in a couple of spots, but the tone of the lead vocal was fantastic. Their transition was fine and the choreography during the breakdown was pretty entertaining. 7.5

01. Vocal Rush
Bottom Of The River
Outstanding! Not familiar with the song, but they absolutely sold this performance. The lead vocal was brilliant, the arrangement flowed beautifully, and I was most particularly impressed by the group's musicality. I enjoyed the intricacy of their sound and their harmonies were solid. Plus, that breakdown was fantastic complete with some interesting choreography. 9

OFF TO THE ULTIMATE SING-OFF
 The Princeton Footnotes

GROUP 2

05. VoicePlay
Feel This Moment
This one sounded a tad sloppy. It started a little strange as I found the tone of the lone female in the group a little nasally and too thin that it almost didn't blend well with the group. The arrangement was choppy and a few of their chord changes were odd. Not a fan. 5.5

04. Element
Burn
In parts, Element's version of Burn sounded good, but there were moments where I cringed a little bit. Not sure if it was the shrill tone of one of the lead singers, but the whole effect of their performance just didn't sound full. It was pretty obvious here that they are indeed an all girl a capella group, and it was obvious as this lacked modulation. 7 

03. AcoUstiKats
Blurred Lines
I liked that the group kept it playful with most of them gyrating on stage, which made this a fun performance to watch. True, the falsetto range of the one who opened the performance sounded horrible, but for the most part, this was pretty solid and entertaining. 7.5

02. The Filharmonic
Treasure
Was it just me or were they pretty charismatic? This was a pretty lovely and smooth performance of Bruno Mars' Treasure. I thought the arrangement flowed nicely, they sounded good, and the voice of the second lead was incredibly soulful that it gave me goosebumps. 8

01. Ten
Tell Me Something Good
This group reminded me of a much edgier version of Afro Blue from last season. I had reservations with their song choice, but this focused performance won me over. Their harmonies were impressive, the arrangement had fantastic vocal dynamics, and I liked how they kept the modern stylings of their vocals despite the song choice. Very nice. 9

OFF TO THE ULTIMATE SING-OFF
VoicePlay

----
ULTIMATE SINGOFF
Bye Bye Bye
This was absolutely amazing! Yes, The Princeton Footnotes and VoicePlay were the weakest in their groups, but somehow they made this performance incredibly compelling with terrific vocals, interesting arrangement, and it was VERY entertaining to watch.
----

ELIMINATED
The Princeton Footnotes

3 comments:

Unknown said...

i have waited years for this show to come back by far my fav even ahead of american idol but i have to say i think the only reason its back is because the voice is doing so well and its attracting more viewers to singing competitions for NBC.

Anonymous said...

I don't think this seasons batch is anywhere near as strong as previous seasons. Vocal rush and the Filharmonics are my stand outs the rest are a bit underwhelming compared to Pentatonix, delihah,urban method.

Anonymous said...

also Jewell is absolutely awesome. Christina, Demi and Paulino take a note seriously.

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