Is The Voice Over Itself?

Only one night after wowing us with an incredible Battle, The Voice makes a case against itself by presenting three of the season's worst Battles back-to-back-to-back to close out the round. Each is terrible for different reasons, but all are symptomatic of the fact that the format hasn't been revamped since its debut. It's tired, it's stale; it's a bit like Carson Daly (though we still love him). Is there any way to course-correct ahead of the Knockouts? Probably not, but as the weeds get trimmed, maybe one or two voices of pure, excited talent will make their way to the top anyway. Until then, at least there's Adam's sass-face to keep us company.

Here's the final Battle Rankling:

1. Bindi Liebowitz vs. Brendan Fletcher
   Song: "Home"
   Team: Adam

   This feels very blah, as if Bindi and Brendan are having a secret "I care the least" contest. Kids tell me those are all the rage in Brendan's adopted Brooklyn, to which: get normal, weirdos! If I have to care, and Carson has to care, so do you.

   Winner: Brendan Fletcher
   Steal: Bindi to Team Blake

2. Gabriel Violett vs. Whitney & Shannon
   Song: "More Than Words"
   Team: Alicia

   It's fairly ridiculous that the show keeps allowing duos -- let's face it, we're not getting any better than the Swon Brothers -- and this Battle is a perfect example of why it provides an unfair advantage. One of the girls (have they even been referred to individually yet?) is weaker than the other, but they carry each other through the performance, helping to mask each other's vocal issues. Gabriel, on the other hand, has the task of inserting himself into a prepackaged unit, and, to his credit, does so with some success. Still, he's pitchy (or maybe I'm projecting because I find him whiny?) and ultimately gets lost in the harmonies as Whitney and Shannon overpower him.

   Winner: Whitney & Shannon

3. Austin Allsup vs. Preston James
   Song: "Bad Moon Rising"
   Team: Blake

   This Battle of Country Austin Powers and his Mini-Me is fairly evenly matched, save, of course, for the ginormous age difference. Where Austin has experience, Preston has gumption and a little bit of a raw edge; his ability to completely shred his vocals while belting would lend itself well to a more punky, Green Day-ish style, if he were ever to give up on his cowboy boots. While that ability and range alone should mean a win, Blake's ultimately a pragmatist, choosing Austin because of his experience and pre-determined readiness. It sucks, but that's the way it goes.

   Winner: Austin Allsup

Here's how the teams stand ahead of the Knockouts:

Team Adam: Jason Warrior, Dave Moisan, Riley Elmore, Billy Gilman, Brendan Fletcher, Nolan Neal, Simone Gundy, Ponciano Seoane

Team Blake: Sundance Head, Dana Harper, Gabe Broussard, Karlee Metzger, Austin Allsup, Josh Gallagher, Courtney Harrell, Bindi Liebowitz

Team Alicia: Courtnie Ramirez, Christian Cuevas, Sa'Rayah, Wé McDonald, Michael Sanchez, Belle Jewel, Whitney & Shannon, Kylie Rothfield

Team Miley: Ali Caldwell, Lauren Diaz, Sophia Urista, Josh Halverson, Aaron Gibson, Darby Walker, Maye Thomas, Josette Diaz