The Voice Review: Walk Like Er-in-Mar-tin

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The Voice returned for part two of the Top 24, treating the audience to a couple of outstanding performances, a few horrendous ones, a one-way ticket to Bonertown courtesy of Adam Levine, and a cheap shot like none other from Christina Aguilera to Tony Lucca.

Let's get right to the action...

Team Adam - Katrina Parker - "Tonight Tonight"

Adam wanted her to get away from sounding like Adele.  Well, no one was going to confuse her voice with Adele's here.  This was a solid performance, but nothing I would write home about for the first performance of the night.

Xtina said Katrina's voice really captivated her, but wanted her to rock out more and said there were a few pitchy notes.  Cee Lo loved the staging, and then rambled on about the Smashing Pumpkins. Adam thought she killed it.
Grade: B-

Team Cee Lo - Cheesa - "Don't Leave Me This Way"

Well there were definitely too many dancers on stage, but her voice sounded much better than the past couple of times she was performing.  Again, I wasn't impressed by the performance.  It was good, but that's it.

Blake thought it was a perfect song choice because it was dramatic.  Adam didn't think she did enough to stand out from the rest.  Cee Lo thought it was wonderful and a successful blend.
Grade: B-

We then took a break so that Christina Milian and Jamar Rogers could combine for maybe the most uncomfortable two minutes of the season.  Thanks guys! The social media moments are still as awful as ever!

Tony Lucca Top 24

Tony Lucca took on Peter Gabriel this week.

Team Adam - Tonny Lucca - "In Your Eyes"

While practicing Tony admits that he's never been very good with the falsetto.  Well he probably shouldn't have picked a song that features falsetto...or just not use it, like he did here.  Thankfully he didn't butcher the falsetto, but unfortunately, this sounded way too karaoke for me.

Xtina went into a whole diatribe about how she thinks Tony has no versatility, and she seemingly went out of her way to tell fans not to vote for him because of his popularity.  It was actually really mean.  Adam took the high road and said Tony made him feel so good with the performance.
Grade: B+

Team Adam - Kim Yarbrough - "Rolling in the Deep"

She was at an extreme advantage in singing such an unbelievably good and popular song.  Her verses were great, as her grit and power were able to shine through, but something really fell apart at the front parts of the chorus.  Her "We could have had it all"s were extremely tough to listen to.  The "rolling in the deep"s, on the other hand, were very nice.

Blake thought the song got better as it went on.  Cee Lo thought it was too safe of a song choice.  Adam said that it is hard to do Adele because she's such a freak.  He also loves Kim to death.
Grade: C+

Team Cee Lo - James Massone - "Don't Know Why"

There is nothing I hate more than when the audience starts clapping with a performance, so I was immediately upset.  Then James started getting into the song and my feelings changed.  This guy's tone is so pleasant that this slow, easy song was the perfect choice.  It didn't suffer from the fact that he has no strength in his vocal.  He just got to breeze right through it, and I'm sure the young girls enjoyed it as well.

Blake said that he almost through his panties on the stage.  Xtina said there were pitch problems, but when he hits the notes it's dope.  Cee Lo thought James's only issue was that he might have been too attentive to the crowd.
Grade: B+

Team Cee Lo - Juliet Simms - "Roxanne"

I thought we were all comparing her to Rod Stewart...not Sting!  I don't care what she sings though, because this was fantastic.  I loved everything about this performance.  Between her interesting phrasing, that crazy growl, the fact that it looked like she almost cried at one point, and of course hitting every note flawlessly, Juliet finally started the show six contestants in.

That performance really pissed Adam off, because it was the best he had seen so far on the show.  Xtina said it was dope, using the played out word for the second or third time in this one episode.  Cee Lo said she doesn't need any smoke and mirrors because she has the voice!
Grade: A+

Juliet Simms Top 24

Juliet Simms had the second best "Roxanne" moment of the television season.  The first was from that ep of Community.

Team Adam - Mathai - "Ordinary People"

It was unfortunate that she had to go right after Juliet, because this was also very good.  Mathai just seemed to have complete and utter control of her voice, showcasing it in just the right ways throughout this entire performance.  Opening in acapella was bold, and it paid off, because she sounded great.

Xtina liked how Mathai chose certain moments to trail off and adlib.  Blake was drawn in to the fact that she was enjoying herself.  Adam thinks she's just magical, and loved that the quiet quality showed off her voice perfectly.
Grade: A

Team Cee Lo - Tony Vincent - "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"

First, let's talk about the weird red monsters on stage with Tony.  They creeped me out.  My major issue with the man himself, though, is that it feels like he's playing a character.  I can't take him seriously as an artist, especially since his character seems like it should be in an 80s music video.  He has a good voice, sure, but he didn't even get to show that power in this performance.

Blake didn't know how to feel about the evil vibe on stage.  Xtina loved the production value, but wanted to hear more out of Tony.  Cee Lo apologized for restricting Tony with the song choice.  He also said that he would vote for Tony if he decided to rule the world.
Grade: B

Team Adam - Karla Davis - "Airplanes"

Somebody needs to tell Karla that she was eight days late on this April Fool's Day joke.  Why stray THAT far away from your comfort zone?  She goes from country to hip hop/rap?  Some of the coaches didn't even want the MC Moses Stone to rap!  This was a horrid song choice, and she didn't even sound all that good when she was able to sing the chorus.  This was just bad coaching by the returning champion, Adam.

Xtina was surprised, but thought Karla did a good job.  Blake thought she did as good of a job as she could with that song.  Adam said that there were nerves, and she could have been better.  He still thought she did a fantastic job, though.
Grade: F

Team Cee Lo - Erin Martin - "Walk Like an Egyptian"

Wow! Speaking of terrible song choices!  How is this song even a choice for any singing competition anywhere, anytime, anyhow?  You don't take a cute quirky voice and stick it into a ridiculous up-tempo gimmick of a song.  The voice is the gimmick!  This was just completely horrid.

Blake again thought she did a good job with the song she was given. Xtina said that Erin didn't really bring it hard enough.  Cee Lo apologized for the distraction that was the production.
Grade: F

Erin Martin Top 24

Again, what on Earth was that?

Team Adam - Pip - "When You Were Young"

I still love his voice, and he did a good job in this performance, but Pip definitely failed to sell me as a rocker here.  Luckily for him, I don't think he is a rocker.  Hopefully when he makes it through, Pip will go back to his wheelhouse.  The kid does get crazy bonus points, though, for rocking the bow tie with a leather jacket.

Xtina thought Pip's performance was pitchy, but it got better as it went along.  Adam said he surprised everybody by doing this song, but wanted him to be less trustworthy...why, I don't know.
Grade: B+

Team Cee Lo - Jamar Rogers - "Are You Gonna Go My Way"

His voice sounded great, and his performance skills were a notch above the rest, but nothing about this really made me want to vote for him.  Unlike Pip, and a couple of others, Jamar seems to know who he is as an artist.  That is a great characteristic to have in a competition like this.

Blake, again, was against the overproduction.  He didn't understand what the people on stilts were doing on stage.  Adam put competition aside and said that Jamar embodies what The Voice is.
Grade: B+

With that, it is now in the hands of America.  Three contestants from Team Adam, and three from Team Cee Lo, will make it through on America's votes.  Each coach will then have to pick one more team member to make it through.

Here are my Team Adam Rankings:
1. Mathai
2. Tony Lucca
3. Pip
4. Katrina Parker
5. Kim Yarbrough
6. Karla Davis

And my Team Cee Lo Rankings:
1. Juliet Simms
2. James Massone
3. Jamar Rogers
4. Tony Vincent
5. Cheesa
6. Erin Martin

Come back to TV Fanatic tomorrow night for a full recap of what goes down at The Voice results show.  For now take part in our polls below, and let us know who was your favorite or least favorite in the comments...

Who is getting your vote from Team Adam?

What about from Team Cee Lo?

Review

Editor Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
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Dan Forcella is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow him on Twitter.

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