Welcome to the Finals! If this season seems rushed, that's because it has been (it comes in a full two episodes shorter than last season), but given the quality of the talent I'm not exactly complaining. The judges (and even Carson) seem to know what's up too, as all of their commentary basically boils down to different ways of saying "nice try" after each performance. But at least Gwen looks pretty. I still miss Pharrell's layered-necklace phase.
The most disappointing part of the evening (aside from Barrett) is the lack of original songs; while none were ever truly great, they provided some insight into what the performers could do with raw material and upped the chances of complete embarrassment (always appreciated in live TV scenarios). Instead, we're left with covers, coach duets, and holiday songs, which could have been delightful, except they're either poorly done or awful B-side selections, which just goes to further exemplify that nothing about this season works. Things get awfully boring when too many wannabe country artists and crooners in suit jackets get this far, leaving the season to go out on a wistful sigh instead of the usual fire (save, of course, for the actual fire that was part of Emily Ann's set piece).
But because we must, here's the Rankling for the evening, complete with holiday song performances, because I'm a monster:
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Emily Ann Roberts
Emily Ann would easily win "Most Improved" of the season vocally, but she never really bothered to develop a stage presence to match. To her credit, however, she does make me feel something that I didn't expect with "Blue Christmas," but it's a longing for Zach Seabaugh (he would have sung the hell of it, whereas Emily Ann sort of just goes through the motions of repeating lyrics). She pushes herself further in her duet with Blake, but "Burning House" is really the standout of the night for her, as the pacing of the arrangement works well with her softer delivery. She seems like a sweet kid, and maybe Nashville will be kind to her, but it's probably unlikely that she'll be the next Carrie Underwood.
Team: Blake
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Jeffery Austin
Jeffery's the best performer left, so he's obviously not going to win, though I think that actually might be a good thing; without a contract to hold him back, he could easily be on Broadway within the next year. He delivers solid performances of "O Holy Night" and "Stay," with excellent intonation on each (even when his delivery is a bit messy it's because he's clearly performing in the moment). The duet on "Leather And Lace" that he does with Gwen is an odd fit -- his style of delivery is a bit too harsh for the song -- but it's still passable, which is like an A-minus in this crowd.
Team: Gwen
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Barrett Baber
Barrett is so terrible that the only nice thing I can say about him is that he hasn't gotten any more terrible over the course of the show. He's just as pitchy, just as mumble-y, and just as arrogant now as he was in his blind audition, so kudos to him, at least, for not letting the Finals get into his head. He's completely incomprehensible on his duet with Blake, and, while I don't mean to speak for Jesus, I think it's safe to say that He would probably prefer Barrett not smirk like a creeper when singing "Silent Night." His best effort is on "Die A Happy Man," but I say that only because I feel like the original might be nice and it's inspired me to look it up. The fact that Barrett's still on the show just goes to show how flawed the voting system is, and I hope it serves as a wake-up call to the producers to change things up for the next cycle.
Team: Blake
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Jordan Smith
Jordan's obviously great, but I almost find his effortlessness to be unnerving; time and time again, he gets on stage, stands still, and delivers impressive vocals without even breaking into a sweat or smile. Would it be too much to ask him to pretend to try? As is, there's no difference between "Climb Every Mountain" and "Mary, Did You Know," with "God Only Knows" only standing out because it's in a higher key. He's still going to win -- and he should, he is gifted -- but he really needs to work on his stage presence once he does.
Team: Adam
What did you think of the final group of performances? Who do you think will win? And who are you excited to see come back for the finale?
For Law & Order Week we ask:
Which The Voice coach would you have liked to see guest star?
- Adam Levine, as himself
- Blake Shelton, as a tourist-turned-suspect
- Gwen Stefani, as the manager of Coyote Ugly
- Pharrell, as one of the Hari Krishna who chant in Union Square
- Usher, as a character meant to be P. Diddy