We are officially underway with Season 3 of NBC’s The Voice, and although I am still reeling over the absurd choice America made by crowning Jermaine Paul the Season 2 champion — Juliet Simms was R-O-B-B-E-D (or, for that matter, so were Tony Lucca, Jamar Rogers and Katrina Parker!) — enough time has passed for me to forgive and move on. After all, I’ve got a whole season to recap, so I better be on my best behavior and put my objective hat on! It’s a little strange seeing a fall edition of The Voice, because there’s the likelihood that ratings could dip due to singing competition overkill (I imagine America probably wants a decent break before their ears are bombarded again with singers who are desperate to shove themselves into the national spotlight). Also, The Voice will be contending with Britney, bitch! Yes, X-Factor faced off against The Voice last night, and I imagine FOX and Simon Cowell can’t be too pleased with this face-off, especially since it once seemed that X-Factor would monopolize the fall viewership without the threat of competition. Last season’s The Voice started off strong thanks to two impeccable back-to-back episodes that were boosted in the Nielsen ratings by The Superbowl lead-in, but dived considerably after the quality of the program got worse and worse just as Idol managed to turn its horrid start around into one of the better seasons in the show’s history. Currently, Phillip Phillips (last season’s Idol champion, for those living under a rock) has become a major force in the industry. His single “Home” has been certified platinum thanks to a positive reception at the Idol finale, not to mention NBC’s promotion of the song during the London Olympics. And then we are left to ask: Jermaine Paul, who? As I typed the name, I accidentally wrote out “Jermaine Sellers,” who was a former Idol contestant, so that should give you a sign of how irrelevant the season two winner has become in my mind. I’m sure Jermaine is doing just fine for himself and his adorable family, but c’mon The Voice, give me a bloody mega-watt star already! Is that too much to ask?! Either way, let’s dive into the premiere and see if anyone — please, God, please — manages to show some kind of potential and become a recording artist that could open America’s hearts and wallets.

You can pretty much guarantee that the first person shown on The Voice premiere will not only go through to the next round without any hurdles, but will be a safe bet to stick around for a good while. Last season, country spunkster RaeLynn was the first blind audition America saw, and she made it all the way to the Quarterfinals. I have a feeling this first act, Terry McDermott, will probably be shoved down our throats just as much. What makes Terry McDermott “special” is that he’s an immigrant from Scotland. Apparently, Scottish people don’t appear on reality television enough, otherwise I doubt the producers would be making such a big deal about his heritage. The guy looks exactly like a Hobbit. And that’s not an insult, by the way! After all, it was a Hobbit who saved us from the peril of Sauron — the all-seeing eye! Okay, so maybe that just happened in a 680 minute movie, but so what! Hobbit’s are…well…I’ll let you fill in the blanks. So McDermott came to America in 2003, met a beautiful woman who he then married and had a son with, and is now pursuing his own version of The American Dream. He seems like a likable enough guy, and he already has experience thanks to his involvement with a rock band called “Drive White.” For his blind audition, Terry sings the popular anthem “Baba O’Riley,” so the pressure is massively on for Hobbitses to really deliver. He actually sounds quite a bit like U2′s Bono, so much so that I wonder if he’s a wannabe, but overall he’s a decent singer. When Terry first began, I thought he was tone deaf because he hit his notes rather flat, but the more he got into the song the better it sounded. I expected the notes to really soar on this song, especially on the unforgettable “Teenage Wasteland” chorus, but they don’t quite hit home as much as I’d have preferred them to. His ease on stage elevates his performance somewhat, but his coach will need to work on opening up that vocal, because right now his voice could easily crumble on the live shows. Terry’s a tad over-pimped at this point, but I give him props for a terrific song choice and bringing a ton of energy to his audition. Cee Lo, Adam and Blake all press their buttons, but Hobbitses goes with Blake. Not sure the rationale behind this decision, but maybe Hobbitses figured he’d do well with a coach who won last season.

Performance Review: (***)
Judge Selected: Team Blake
Listen to Terry McDermott below:

Next up is a shining beacon of a young girl, De’Borah. She’s a lot more unique than just the way she spells her name. De’Borah, 25, is a former gospel singer who broke away from her church choir when they judged her by her appearance, fashion and sexuality. De’Borah is an openly comfortable lesbian, with little-to-no hair that makes her look somewhat androgynous and unidentifiable to many in terms of a specific gender. De’Borah’s biggest supporters are her parents, who she describes as “dope,” and she is auditioning for The Voice because it’s the one singing show that won’t judge her for anything but her innate singing talent. De’Borah sings “Hey, Soul Sister” for her audition, and her vibrant and bubbly personality makes up for some occasionally wonky notes. She has a very interesting tone — ambiguous in sound just like her appearance — and definitely knows how to emphasize the soulful quality in her voice. De’Borah needs to work on her runs and transitions, but she’s a firecracker of a contestant who will easily be a fan-favorite after last night’s premiere. There’s definitely room for improvement, but her funky personality sold the performance through and through. Adam, Cee Lo and Christina all turned their chairs around for De’Borah, but in the end she went with her personal idol, Christina Aguilera.

Performance Review: (***)
Judge Selected: Team Christina
Listen to De’Borah:

Third to show us the goods is Gracia Harrison, a down-to-the-nitty-gritty country gal! Gracia is a beautiful looking woman who could probably be Miss America tomorrow if Donald Trump got his greedy hands on her. Thank god those terminator fingers are nowhere near Gracia, because the girl deserves to be a contender on this program. From the second she opened her mouth, I instantly believed I was hearing a professional sing. Her tone is that clear and controlled, not to mention commanding and personable. She chose an unknown country song to many of us ignorant non-country fans, “I Want to be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart,” which was probably a smart move because I imagine all the judges minus Blake couldn’t compare her vocal to anyone else. One of Gracia’s special powers is her ability to yodel, and she controlled that hidden talent quite steadily. Gracia’s voice is so good that I’d say she’s ready to be signed to a Nashville record label. Gracia may be a cookie-cutter country artist, and aside from her yodeling her voice doesn’t have the originality to win the show, but she certainly paved her way as a contender this early in the season. To absolutely no one’s surprise, Gracia chose Blake as her coach, with Adam and Cee Lo as the other two judges that fought for her approval.

Performance Review: (***1/2)
Judge Selected: Team Blake
Listen to Gracia Harrison:

Just as Season Three of The Voice was shaping up rather nicely, the ceiling collapsed on top of me when all four coaches failed to recognize 16-year old Garrett Gardner’s unforgettable gravelly tone. The dude looks a cross between James Franco and Idol’s Colton Dixon, but his sleek and striking image is a distant memory compared to his out-of-this-world voice. It’s unfortunate that NBC only streams the blind audition videos of the contestants who made it to the next round, because I guarantee anyone who heard his performance of “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” would have been shell-shocked that no judge pressed their button for him. I thought this was about The Voice, but sometimes I wonder whether the softer-singing artists get ignored because they don’t explode into bombast and melisma. Anita Antoinette was another singer who was cut that I felt should have made it through. Born in Jamaica, she grew up idolizing the great Bob Marley, and her style of singing is a balance of soul, gospel and reggae. Her version of “No Woman, No Cry” was wickedly cool. If Jennifer Hudson was a reggae artist, she would sound like Anita. I loved the little riffs she took on the melody, and her interpretation of the lyrics was spot on while still maintaining that appropriate reggae beat. The judges hated it because they were expecting Anita to belt. Anita performed an A capella rendition of the song after it was announced she wasn’t continuing forward as a contestant on The Voice. Yes, that version was better but I still maintain Anita’s unique factor and understanding of her artistry should have earned her a spot on one of the judges’ teams. I swear, half the time I don’t believe the judges appreciate vocal restraint. Not every song has to be belted out to the nth degree. I personally would give Garrett and Anita a score of (***1/2) stars.

Devyn Deloera was the next contestant to make it past the blind auditions. She went with a rather ballsy song choice: Christina Aguilera’s difficult “Ain’t No Other Man.” Truth be told, I’m pretty surprised no one has sung this tune more often on these singing shows. It’s quite catchy and really shows off one’s chops if delivered correctly. Devyn had Christina’s signature rasp and runs down to a tee, but where she lost footing was her failure to bring the vocal bounce that makes the song such a treat. The rhythm of Devyn’s rendition was off at times, and her voice does tend to get a bit shrieky once in awhile. However, she did a serviceable job on a tough Xtina jazz-pop tune, and really demonstrated great potential that Christina — who Devyn obviously chose as her season coach — could help fulfill further on down the road. Adam and Blake also pressed their buttons for Devyn, but to no avail.

Performance Review: (***)
Judge Selected: Team Christina
Listen to Devyn Deloera:

The only contestant from the premiere to get all four judges to turn their chairs around was 22-year-old Bryan Keith. For the life of me, I don’t know why that happened. Look, Keith looks like a star, has a star’s name, and has a voice made for recording. However, if I went purely by this audition, I’m not sure he deserved AS MUCH praise as he received. Singing Bruno Mar’s “It Will Rain,” Keith definitely let his tone define his musicianship, so much so that his version lacked any range or dynamic vocal movement. He literally sounded the same from start to finish, and the judges regurgitated those exact words as if they were compliments! Yes, arguably Phillip Phillips won Idol last year without barely touching a song’s melody, but at least his guitar proved to be a swell form of distraction. Keith doesn’t have an instrument to hide his one-note — literally, ONE NOTE — singing. Keith never changed keys nor did he take any real risks with the song. The guy has incredible charisma and undeniable stage presence, but I want his style of singing, or lack thereof, to be challenged by Adam, his coach, moving forward. I do respect how Keith handled himself in front of the judging panel. He listened with attentiveness and understanding, and for that I know he’ll be a great member of Team Adam. Still, Adam needs to show him it’s okay to sing in a different key from time to time.

Performance Review: (***)
Judge Selected: Team Adam
Listen to Bryan Keith:

The next performer to face the music was someone the previews hinted had already unsuccessfully auditioned in a previous season. I was crossing my fingers it was the lovely and talented Sonia Rao from The Voice’s inaugural season, but instead it was…Daniel Rosa? WOMP WOMP WOMP. The kid barely made an impression on me last season, and I awarded him a score of (**) stars. While his voice is slightly more controlled this go-around, I still think the kid needs a few more years to grow and be more comfortable onstage. First off, before I even turned on the show I knew someone was going to sing Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” so as a song choice this was as predictable as they come. Secondly, the kid has a difficult time controlling his pitch, but somehow was able to mask his Achilles’ heel by presenting his off-the-rails vocal like an original version of the song. I could have heard Finding Nemo’s Dory speak whale and we’d end up with the same result. I forgot that the judges are suckers for a song revamp/reinterpretation even if the original take is rather atrocious. Look, Daniel Rosa has a decent tone, similar in fact to Idol’s Andrew Garcia and Jeremy Rosado (who both sound like Taio Cruz), but he doesn’t know how to utilize it to fully enliven a song. His shaky voice and heavy breathing don’t help matters either. I was a bit miffed by Cee Lo and Blake turning their chairs around so quickly, although I’m glad Daniel is finally making his dreams come true. However, I worry that he’ll be squashed in the Battle Rounds.

Performance Review: (**)
Judge Selected: Team Cee Lo
Listen to Daniel Rosa:

The penultimate performer of last night’s premiere was Joe Kirkland from Fort Worth, Texas. We share the same first name, so I expected something almost extraordinary, but what ensued was closer to extraordinarily awful. I realize Joe Kirkland is a has-been who was signed to a major label before being dropped, has experience on stage with his former band (Artist Vs. Poet), and probably has decent enough stage presence to get a lot of teenage girls screaming. Christina couldn’t help but flirt with Joe after Blake, who is also from the same part of Texas as Kirkland, stated that “everything is bigger in Texas.” That got Christina’s horny juices flowing. If her creepy eye roll didn’t give it away, then you’re probably blind. As a singer, Joe Kirkland is really nothing special, and easily had the least interesting voice of anyone that auditioned in the premiere. He sounds like your typical pop artist that fell off the 90s boy band train. Between his whiny tone and flat vocals, I was rather perplexed when Adam and Blake spun their chairs around for Joe’s rendition of “Gives You Hell.” I doubt Joe will survive The Battle Rounds, but he is a performer who exudes the right amount of energy, although it needs to be channeled properly. Not a real surprise, but Joe Kirkland picked Adam Levine as his mentor for the rest of the season.

Performance Review: (**)
Judge Selected: Team Adam
Listen to Joe Kirkland:

Just like last season’s premiere, The Voice wisely saved their best blind audition for last. Based on the prior two disappointing auditions, I wasn’t feeling in the mood to hand out a perfect score for the evening. But then the pod doors opened, Richard Strauss’ “Also sprach Zarathustra” began playing in my head, and out appeared Trevin Hunte. He chose one beast of a song to tackle with Beyonce’s “Listen,” but my oh my the 18-year-old prodigy can SANG! It was so odd hearing that flawless vocal come from a male voice, but that gender spin on Beyonce’s hit allowed the ballad to feel fresh and more innovative than we’ve heard it in a long time. Sure, maybe it didn’t reach the technical heights of Melanie Amaro’s pristine version on the X-Factor, but I daresay I received more chills from Hunte’s rendition. And when I get chills from a vocal performance, especially after being in such a foul mood, it signifies that the individual responsible holds true powers, indeed. Without a shadow of a doubt, this vocal dynamo is the front runner coming off of the premiere, and is sure to have an incredible run across the entire season. Trevin Hunte may just win the whole thing, and if he continues to match the caliber of his “Listen” blind audition, no one will stand in the way of his impending victory.

Performance Review: (****)
Judge Selected: Team Cee Lo
Listen to Trevin Hunte:

After tallying the combined scores from each team member’s blind audition, here’s how the coaches stand:

1. Team Blake: [Gracia (***1/2) + Terry (***)]/2 = Average Score of (***1/4)

2/3. Team Christina & Team Cee Lo = Average Score of (***)

4. Team Adam: [Bryan (***) + Joe (**)]/2 = Average Score of (**1/2)

Verdict: Blake has a solid team thus far, and Adam surprisingly needs to accrue some stronger contenders. Cee Lo and Christina are in a good position after the first blind audition show.

Thanks everyone for reading my recap of The Voice Season 3 premiere. Share with me your thoughts on who stood out in this very first round of blind auditions. Agree or disagree with my critiques? Speak your mind below in the comment section! I’ll be posting two more recaps this week in honor of the show’s three-day fall debut, so stay tuned!

About Joseph Braverman

My name is Joseph Braverman. I am 24 years old and a recent graduate from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Digital Media. I love watching and analyzing films and television shows. I have a huge obsession with "Best Of" or "Top #" lists. I am currently living in Los Angeles, CA, trying to become enmeshed in the movie industry scene in any way possible. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @JBAwardsCircuit.

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