The second round of Blind Auditions kicked off last night on The Voice. As much as I sometimes crave a two-hour time-span, it’s often nice to have these one-hour audition episodes in order to really focus on the talent and not be distracted by the judges fluff. After the jump, you’ll find out just how wild, crazy and talented this second batch of contestants are.
First up is Pia Toscano’s twin (joking!), Adriana Louise Figueroa, also from Pia’s home state of The Big Apple. Unlike Pia — one of my favorite female Idol vocalists ever — Adriana is more of a straight-up pop singer, and doesn’t strike me as a girl who’ll roll around in a meadow of ballads. Choosing “Domino” was an intelligent move that could very well set her apart from the rest. Adam said it best when he stated that many pop singers fail to sound as catchy and on-the-beat when performing live when compared to their auto-tuned (“voice of perfection”) studio recording. Adriana doesn’t have that problem, and is actually one of the very few pop singers who defines the word instead of circumnavigates around it like so many of today’s chart-topping artists (Katy Perry and K$sha, to name a few). Adriana’s voice may not be the most gifted sound you’re likely to hear, but she does knows her limits and strengths as a vocalist. The way she was able to command the stage wiped away that guilty feeling of jamming to bubblegum pop. You couldn’t help yourself but bounce along while Adriana sang. I was trying to get Jessica Sanchez to sing “Domino” all last season of Idol, but I guess she never read my advice article. A shame, because she needed something a bit more edgy and contemporary to really sell herself to mass consumerism. As it stands, Adriana got all four of the judges to turn around, and wisely chose Christina as her coach. Christina will undoubtedly be able to help push Adriana’s voice past the barriers it once stayed comfortable behind.
Performance Review: (***1/2)
Judge Selected: Team Christina
Listen to Adriana Louise Figueroa:
Next up to chase their dream was Casey Muesiggman (pronounced “Music Man”), a 22-year old Iowan native. Blake and Cee Lo turned their chairs around for this cowboy hat-wearing country singer, who — SHOCKER — sang “Sweet Home Alabama” as his audition song. I was prepared to eviscerate Casey’s performance, but was surprised by the strength of his verses. He added some unexpected riffs, and he actually elevated the register of his voice on certain notes which added some unexpected dynamics to a fairly standard tune. The choruses were slightly problematic, mainly because Casey sung them so straight-forward, and the ending was less than memorable — he basically just closed the song by talking to the audience. That kind of stuff works when you’re a superstar at the end of your concert, but not on a platform like The Voice where every detail within a performance is heavily scrutinized. I would also advise Casey to seek out a choreographer pronto — that “dancing” was nightmarish. Naturally, Casey chose Blake as his coach, and I have a suspicion that Blake won’t pay as much attention to him as other stars on his team like last night’s Gracia Harrison. I believe Casey could be a country star, but The Voice‘s speedy processions may make it impossible for Casey to live up to his potential. I’d call Casey a dark horse, but I doubt he’ll even be let out of the stables.
Performance Review: (***)
Judge Selected: Team Blake
Listen to Casey Muesiggman:
Third to wow the judging panel was 24-year old San Diego native, Aquile (pronounced “Ah’Quill”). Okay, can we just stop here for a second and remark on how awesome this kid’s name is? His audition better be just as unique and memorable or else I may sink into depression. Going out and singing “Your Song” is like telling the world you have superhero powers. You have to be amazing otherwise Elton John’s signature ballad could crush you like an anvil. While there was a lingering feeling in my mind that Aquile could be vocally superior to what he presented us in his blind audition, I sat absolutely mesmerized by his R&B version of “Your Song.” Those riffs and the way he stretched out each word, spreading those verses with his buttery tone, was heavenly. There’s no room for contention — the dude has incredible skill. Aquile doesn’t quite look like the next giant artist yet (his buttoned-up shirt and tie get-up made it appear as though he just left from a casual Friday meeting at the office), but style is the smallest thing Aquille will need to worry about. He needs to kick up his charisma a notch and own his superior vocals. I could see the fear in Aquile’s eyes at times, and if the audience sees that too often, they’ll begin to have doubts. Trevin Hunte’s “Listen” may have been more emotionally fulfilling, but Aquile’s technical abilities aren’t anything to bat an eye at. The guy has the talent to win, but now his judge Christina just needs to fill in the small gaps between Aquile and America’s vote as this season’s “The Voice.”
Performance Review: (***1/2)
Judge Selected: Team Christina
Listen to Aquile:
Featured second to last was MacKenzie Bourg, a 19-year old pop rocker from Louisiana. Cee Lo was the only one to turn his chair around for MacKenzie’s version of the popular “Pumped Up Kicks.” As for me, I’m on the fence with MacKenzie. There is no denying that the guy’s unique tone — which lies in the middle of a whine and falsetto — marks him as an up-and-coming artist with untapped raw talent. The dilemma lies in whether MacKenzie is still too raw to be tamed. There’s a part of me that believes in MacKenzie’s unique factor, but I also wonder whether he’ll buckle during the Battle Rounds, unable to properly control his voice for the song he’ll be asked by his coach to cover. I liked his version of “Pumped Up Kicks” — the clarity of diction was impressive considering the radio version is almost lyrically incomprehensible — but I wasn’t blown away. Let’s see how Cee Lo is able to handle this raw power known as MacKenzie Bourg.
Performance Review: (***)
Judge Selected: Team Cee Lo
Listen to MacKenzie Bourg:
The final performer of the night is supposed to be the best of the episode, right? WRONG! Julio Cesar Castillo may be an affable little spitfire with a penchant for sport’s jackets, but his rendition of Ritchie Valen’s crossover Spanish hit “La Bamba” was the kind of freakishly bad performance you’d never imagine seeing until it’s horrifically flashed before your eyes. Remember when Marie Osmond performed her Doll Freestyle on Dancing with the Stars, and we all felt as though we got sucked into an episode of The Twilight Zone? Julio Cesar’s performance affects you in the same way — he came across like a little wind-up doll that started screaming at the top of his lungs once he reached that chorus. There was zero musical intent behind any of his notes, and as I just mentioned, the chorus was a scream, where the higher he was able to go in volume, the more the judges became foolishly convinced he could sing. The staging was cheesy, the performance was Vaudeville meets The Three Caballeros on crack-cocaine, and I honestly could not wait for it all to end. How Cee Lo and Blake turned their chairs around for this rambunctious tyke will be a question I’d ask them to pose to a therapist. Sorry if I’m going all Simon Cowell on Julio Cesar, who probably means well and is a sweet kid, but that rendition was nothing short of a Michael Bay film.
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Tags: Aquile, blake shelton, carson daly, Casey Muesiggman, cee lo green, christina aguilera, Christina Milian, Entertainment/Culture, Julio Cesar Castillo, MacKenzie Bourg, The Voice, The Voice Blind Auditions Recap, the voice recap, The Voice Season Three
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