The Voice 11: The Knockouts Part 1

I'm back! The Battle Round is finally done - as you should know by now, I don't review them for the most part - and The Knockout Round is here. To be honest, I'm still not particularly fond of this stage of the competition as I feel like some of the pairings are a little unfair since they usually throw in favorites with some cannon fodders, but I digress.

On with the show!

TEAM BLAKE

Josh Gallagher

My Maria

There's nothing wrong with Josh's performance. I thought the song choice was perfect for his voice, his falsetto sounded lovely, and his grasp on his pitch was quite impressive. That said, the whole thing also came off incredibly generic that I could actually hear his version in any festival across the United States. Plus, he was up against a pretty strong vocalist. 7

Sundance Head

The Climb

Not going to lie, I was NEVER a fan of Sundance even during his American Idol Season 6 stint, but this was pretty stellar. The stripped down arrangement highlighted his strong vocals, solid control, and insane range. If he'd be able to harness further the rawness of his instrument, then there's no reason to write off Blake at this stage. 8.5

WINNER: Sundance Head

STEAL: Josh Galagher (Team Adam)

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TEAM ALICIA

Kylie Rothfield

Hound Dog

At first listen, I wasn't entirely a fan of her bluesy take on Hound Dog, but I appreciated how she flipped the song to something that suited her as an artist. I though her vocals were good, although could've been a lot more powerful. 7.5

Whitney and Shannon

I Won't Give Up

What a mess! I was rooting for them after their gorgeous blind auditions, but I Won't Give Up exposed their  weaknesses as vocalists. I mean, their solos were absolutely shaky and I felt like it threw them off the entire performance. Too bad. 4

WINNER: Kylie Rothfield

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TEAM MILEY

Lauren Diaz

Rise Up

I didn't necessarily enjoy how the tempo of the song got a little too fast shedding the main impact of the song, but Lauren has proved to be a vocal beast and I thought she nailed it. The choice not to sing in falsetto some parts like the original was interesting, and the last half was powerful and intense. Very nice. 7.5

Ali Caldwell

No Ordinary Love

Wow. Ali has always been a powerhouse vocalist, but how she navigated that melody with finesse and power all at the same time was just outstanding. She's one of those rare singers that belt out notes, but doesn't sound like she's screaming at us. To me, this was her best performance to date. 9

WINNER: Ali Caldwell

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TEAM ADAM

Simone Gundy

Midnight Train To Georgia

While I actually hated the overdone song choice and the fact that she's arguably your generic black diva, I can't fault Simone's almost faultless vocals and the clean and effortless tone to her rendition of the song. If only she did something a lot less predictable song.. 7.5

Dave Moisan

Like I Can

I was rooting for Dave since his blind audition, but this just wasn't good. The song choice was terrible, he struggled with the notes, he looked uncomfortable on stage, and it was just not the same Dave that was spectacular a couple of weeks ago. What happened? 5

WINNER: Simon Gundy

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TEAM ALICIA

Courtnie Ramirez

If I Were A Boy

Good, but not good enough - especially if you're up again someone as good as Wé. I thought she lacked dynamics as the transition felt a bit abrupt. She managed to incorporate some nice little runs towards the end, which was good, but again, not good enough. 7

Wé McDonald
No More Drama
Sure, there's no clear frontrunner this season - a first in many years for The Voice US - but I'll be pretty devastated if Wé suddenly gets eliminated prior to the live shows. Her take on No More Drama was sensational and her deep tone complemented everything else. She's a force to be reckoned with this season and she's absolutely magnetic. 9

WINNER: Wé McDonald

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TEAM ADAM

Riley Elmore

Haven't Met You Yet

I do not understand up to this point why Riley's still in the competition. Don't get me wrong. He seems like a good kid that can carry a tune, but that's about it. He may sound different, but I don't really care. He's mediocre at best. 5

Jason Warrior

I Want You

He's, by far, better than Riley, so Adam's choice should be a no-brainer. Jason's impassioned delivery of the song was good with good vocal technique and great range. Is he the most exciting? I'm not sure, but on this round he won it fair and square. 7.5

WINNER: Riley Elmore

STEAL: Jason Warrior (Team Blake)