Thursday, June 16, 2016

The Voice Australia 5: Top 16

Just like last year, DAM NATION has decided to cover the live shows of The Voice Australia and boy was it all worth it. Sure, there were still a couple of fodders thrown into this group - and I'm pretty sure that with this format, someone will survive longer than some of the more talented ones - but the talent this year is impressive and the production of the performances were outstanding. Heck, even better than The Voice US.

I've been following (silently) the rest of the season and I'm actually enjoying Ronan's chemistry with the rest of the coaches. I didn't enjoy him as much when he was coaching The X Factor Australia, but he seemed rejuvenated with this group. Good for you, Ronan!

On with the show!

TEAM RONAN

04. Emad Younan
Vincent
On paper, this song choice should've been a total homerun for Emad as he's particularly effective with performances of this type, but something just didn't click. I don't know. Was it nerves? 6

03. Georgia Wiggins
Hideaway
This was absolutely the wrong song choice for Georgia. She has this unique quality to her voice that made her stand out in previous rounds and while she did the best with the material she was given, the whole performance came off too safe and underwhelming. I thought she sounded exactly like the original singer - from the tone down to that specific hitch to her voice - that I couldn't help but compare. 6.5

02. Mitch Gardner
Down Under
I wasn't expecting much from Mitch, but this was solid. His terrific tone was front and center - a sound I didn't expect from him - his pithc was on point, he seemed really connected with the song, and there was an effortlessness to his delivery that was pleasant to watch. 7.5

01. Tash Lockhart
Be The One
Not going to lie, I found her to be generic during her Blind Audition - her bestfriend, to me, was a lot more interesting - but she proved me wrong over the course of the season and this was another strong performance from Tash. There's a comfortability in her that's appealing, her vocals were great, and I thought she smashed it. 8

SAVED BY RONAN
Mitch Gardner

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TEAM JESSIE

04. Jack Pellow
Blame It On Me
Jack has been a true enigma to me. Sure, I feel uncomfortable watching him perform, but there's something about his voice that's outstandingly compelling. This was, to me, one of his best performance on the show. He looked more comfortable on stage than ever before and somehow, it seemed like he was having fun. 8

03. Brianna Holm
Samson
The wistful and lilting sound of Brianna on Samson was just captivating. I enjoyed her performance leading to the Live Shows and this was no different. I just hope that the understated vocals and muted production values wouldn't hurt her chances of advancing because her voice just sounded divine. 8

02. Ellen Reed
Ghost
Backed by her masterful phrasing and outstanding rich tone, Ellen just churned out one powerful performance. Again, I've heard so many people cover this song in the course of two years, but how she navigated her voice with the liberties in the melody was just fantastic. Very nice. 8

01. Mikaela Dean
Take Me Home
This was, hands down, the BEST vocal performance of the night. I was iffy initially with the song choice, but how Mikaela made the song bigger was impressive. Her transitions were flawless, the falsetto was sublime, and her upper register was impeccable. 8.5

SAVED BY JESSIE
Mikaela Dean

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TEAM DELTA

04. Adam Ladell
Imagine
Vocally, Adam's version of Imagine was uneven with a lot of odd phrasing and dropped notes at every line, but there was something about this performance that was heartfelt. Yes, I didn't think he connect as much with the song as I expected, but it was genuine. Maybe it was the fantastic background choir? 6.5

03. Elle Murphy
Somebody To Love
Wow. Elle's growth since her Blind Audition was way too staggering that I strangely felt proud watching her confidently deliver a song I never expected her to sing. Her vocals were rich and polished, her stage presence was spectacular, and she looked like a viable pop star. Good job, Delta! 7.5

02. Alfie Arcuri
PILLOWTALK
His movement was a little bit awkward - I will be too if I was forced to stand on a platform that high - but other than that, this was actually a pretty good start coming into the Live Shows. His vocals were consistent, his range was great, and he has a quiet charisma. 8

01. Kim Sheehy
Hearts A Mess
The beginning brought me chills - mostly due to the brilliant "staging" - but she didn't let the production overpower her as she powered through and delivered one superb vocal performance. I've never been a fan of Kim until tonight. This was stunning. 8.5

SAVED BY DELTA
Alfie Arcuri

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TEAM MADDENS

04. Lexi Clark
Rumor Has It
Overdone song choice, but she actually sounded good. It wasn't interesting though as I didn't think she made enough to the song to make her cover particularly memorable. Eh. 6.5

03. Andrew Loadsman
Say Something
I've heard a million covers of this song and while Andrew added a couple of nice flourishes here and there, I didn't enjoy this as much as I hoped. I thought some of his vocal choices were overwrought, he hit a couple of wobbly notes at the first half of the song, and it just sounded a little labored for a song this delicate. 6.5

02. Lane Sinclair
Video Games
There's a haunting quality to her voice that's riveting and I felt like the song choice highlighted that to great effect. I'm still not convinced with Lane, but we'll see. 7

01. Aaliyah Warren
Welcome To The Black Parade
Genius arrangement. Not sure what to expect given the song choice and Aaliyah herself, but I thought she did well. Her vocals were good, I thought she managed to control her nerves, and she looked beautiful. I was hoping for a lot more vocal dynamics, but I digress. 7

SAVED BY MADDENS
Aaliyah Warren

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