Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Here’s a look at the albums and EPs released so far this year by former contestants of The Voice. With 16 seasons in the books– and 48 artists per season, many of whom have changed stage names since the show — it’s quite possible I’ve missed someone. If so, let me know by commenting below or emailing: [email protected]. The links take you to Apple Music. Happy listening. For singles and videos from 2019, head here.

ALBUMS AND EPS

Abby Kasch
“Red Lip” EP
Released: Dec. 20, 2019
Finish: Top 20, Season 16

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

MaKenzie Thomas
“Hym” EP
Released: Dec. 17, 2019
Finish: Top 8, Season 15

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Gary Carpentier
“Lucid” EP
Released: Dec. 6, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 13

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Nicholas David
“Yesterday’s Gone”
Released: Nov. 29, 2019
Finish: 3rd, Season 3

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sydney Rhame
“Off-Brand Love Songs” EP
Released: Nov. 29, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 9

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Davina Leone
“Knowing” EP
Released: Nov. 29, 2019
Finish: Knockout round, Season 12

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Chris Crump
“Remember Vol. 1” EP
Released: Nov. 26, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 9

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Jamar Rogers
“On God, I Got You” EP
Released: Nov. 19, 2019
Finish: Top 8, Season 2

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Tim Atlas
“Together Lonely”
Released: Nov. 8, 2019
Finish: Knockout round, Season 9

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Craig Wayne Boyd
“From the Inbetween” EP
Released: Nov. 6, 2019
Finish: 1st, Season 7

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Mooney (Holly Henry)
“Softer”
Released: Oct. 25, 2019
FInish: Knockout round, Season 5

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

The Shades (Andrew DeMuro)
“Draw” EP
Released: Oct. 25, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 11

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Lex Land
“Alone on Halloween”
Released: Oct. 15, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 2

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Beat Frequency
“The Winner”
Released: Oct. 9, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 3

Natasha Neuschwander and Shawn Lewis appeared on The Voice back in the fall of 2012 and quickly released a debut album called “Electrify.” This catchy 10-song collection of throwback electronic pop-rock comes more than six years later. “Let It Go” was the first song released; the title track is a song Shawn wrote a couple years back. But the best tracks are the party songs, “It’s Going Down,” “Undead” (as in ‘we got to get this place undead’) and the glorious “No Tomorrow.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Duncan Kamakana
“D.K. Live at the Atherton”
Oct. 1, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 4

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Chance Pena
“anxiety and mixed emotions” EP
Released: Sept. 27, 2019
Finish: Season 9, Top 24

In the four years since appearing on The Voice at age 15, Chance has developed a distinct style with his distinct plaintive vocals. And he puts them to good use on his debut EP, which includes four songs and an instrumental track. Chance said his goal was to give fans a glimpse at “what’s been in my mind and heart over these last few months” from the celebratory “I’m Enough” to the more somber “Beyond the View.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Corey Kent (White)
“From the West, Part 2” EP
Released: Sept. 27, 2019
Finish: Top 8, Season 8

Just like his Voice coach Blake Shelton, Corey hails from Oklahoma, and this very impressive three-song release is his best yet, featuring the single “Hold On” and my favorite track, “Tumbleweed.” Since the Voice, Corey has shortened his stage name by dropping the White. He’s also dropped a trio of EPs. “From the West, Part 1” EP came out July 19 and features “Never Thought I’d Be.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Whitney Fenimore
“Highs + Lows” EP
Released: Sept. 27, 2019
Finish: Top 24, Season 13

This marks the second EP since The Voice for Whitney. The pop-leaning “Hearts Don’t Fit Together” was the lead single for the four-song collection. But the best track is the superb, country-tinged “Wreck Me” about a love so strong she doesn’t mind putting her heart on the line. Her previous EP was “Battle Within” from 2018.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Chris Blue
“Fresh Start” EP
Released: Sept. 20, 2019
Finish: Winner, Season 12

Chris released this first major post-show project independently, two years after his victory on the show. “Inside Ya,” with its message of finding strength and happiness from within, was a great choice for a first single, and you’ll find two versions among the seven tracks here. But for a true reminder of Chris’ vocal prowess, be sure to check out “You Are My Heaven.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Jaclyn Lovey
“Happy Again” EP
Released: Sept. 16, 2019
Finish: Knockout round, Season 14

The fourth EP and the third since The Voice for the chill singer-songwriter from Placerville, Calif. Just 16 when she appeared on The Voice, Jaclyn’s at her best on the EP-closing “Where the Stars Are,” but this EP also includes an intriguing illie Eilish inspired track — “Always in My Mind.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Alisan Porter
“Pink Cloud”
Released: Sept. 13, 2019
Finish: Winner, Season 10

Three years after The Voice, Alisan releases her post-show debut album independently. It’s an impressive nine-song collection, classified as country, but allowing Alisan the flexibility to show off her vocal versatility as well. Top tracks include the raucous single “Wild Ones” and the soulful “You Feel Like a Drug.” Alisan describes that album as being about “regaining happiness and re-finding yourself and knowing exactly who you are and not allowing anything or anyone to come in front of that.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Melanie Martinez
“K-12”
Released: Sept. 6, 2019
Finish: Top 6, Season 3

Melanie’s “Cry Baby” debut album spent two years on the Billboard 200 and spawned 13 music videos that were viewed by millions. So she followed up with a 14-song sophomore album and a matching self-directed film as Cry Baby heads to school and confronts issues such as bullying, body image, the pressures of conformity and much more. Songs like “Show & Tell” and “Drama Club” are sure to get stuck in your head. The film works best if you approach it as 13 music videos with an overarching theme. Oh, and the cliff-hanger ending is a sure sign Melanie’s planning a sequel.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Katrina Parker
“Stars”
Released: Sept. 6, 2019
Finish: Top 8

This marks Katrina’s first album since her 2013 post-Voice debut, “In and Out of the Dark.” And it’s sure to leave you hoping there isn’t a six-year gap before the next project lands. Katrina delivers seven originals she wrote, plus an other-worldly cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” The country-tinged, album-closing ballad “Don’t Give It Up” is my favorite track.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Stephanie Anne Johnson
“Ashland By Morning”
Released: Aug. 31, 2019
Finish: Top 20, Season 5

Stephanie Anne was just named Best Artist of 2019 in her hometown of Tacoma, Wash. And then she showed why, releasing this superb five-song, country-folk tinged EP. Standout tracks include “2 A.M.” and “A Song About Holding Hands.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Grace Askew
“Denim & Diesel”
Released: Aug. 30, 2019
Finish: Knockout round, Season 4

Grace’s first album in five years comes as she’s in the midst of a personal challenge to write a song a day every day for two years. Oh, and she’s well over 600 songs into that challenge. She’s got a voice you’ll recognize instantly and is at her best on this 12-song collection on “Because They Can” and “Ain’t Coming Home.” She’s also going to be the focus of an upcoming documentary, “Tumbleweed Woman,” due out in October.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Johnny Gates
“Johnny Gates” EP
Released: Aug. 30, 2019
Finish: Top 20, Season 12

The former lead singer for the rock band Runaway Saints has returned to living in Nashville and his music takes a country turn on this impressive four-song debut solo EP. Johnny’s distinct vocals are especially effective on “Bandit,” about a girl who steals his heart, and “Dive Bar” (his own, not the one Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton sing about). But fans of rocker Johnny might find “Hell Outta Here” more along the lines of what they expect to hear from him.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Alexa Cappelli
“The Colors That Make You” EP
Released: Aug. 30, 2019
Finish: Top 20, Season 14

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Reid Umstattd
“Pockeet of Clouds” EP
Released: Aug. 30, 2019
Finish: Top 20, Season 14

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Gary Edwards
“The Appeal: War of the Mind and Tongue”
Released: Aug. 30, 2019
Finish: Top 20, Season 14

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Holly Tucker
“You’re Gonna Know My Name”
Released: Aug. 23, 2019
Finish: 6th, Season 4

An impressive seven-song country collection from Holly, who was named the Texas CMA Female Vocalist of the Year in 2017 and 2018 and is up for the award again this year. “Take Me Fishin'” and “Country Music Won’t Let Me” are smart marketing for a country artists, but my favorites on this album are the rockin’ “You’re Gonna Know My Name” and “Rhythm of You,” a slice of slow-dance perfection. Holly’s first post-show release was an album called “Steel” in 2016.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Josh Halverson
“Josh Halverson”
Released: Aug. 23, 2019
Finish: Top 20, Season 11

A fine 12-song singer-songwriter collection and the second album since The Voice from Josh. “Whiskey and You” is a great country-tinged ballad about missing a lost love. “Thunderbird Sky” reflects on the birth of his son. Another top track is “Crossing That Line.” Josh released an album called “One Shot” in 2013 and his first post-Voice album, “Year of the Thunderbird” in 2017.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Elenowen
“Versions”
Released: Aug. 23, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 1

Elenowen — the husband and wife duo of Josh and Nicole Johnson — was the very first duo to earn a spot on The Voice way back in Season 1. Here, they’ve dusted off eight previously released original songs and re-worked them into new versions, hence the album’s title. Josh describes their music as a “bourbon sipping, chillin’ kinda vibe,” and he’s right. Be sure to check out “Honey, Come Home.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Michael Austin
“The Good Life”
Aug.. 16, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 4

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Jared Harder
“Jared Harder” EP
Released: Aug. 10, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 10

This five-song collection was three years in the making and comes from an artist who admits he “was as green as could be about the recording process” when he first walked into the studio. But the end results is certainly worth a listen, especially for country music fans. Fellow Voice contestant Mary Sarah lends a vocal assist on “Closer.” My favorite track from the EP is “She Even Makes Leavin’ Look Good.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Jonathas
“L.I.F.E.” EP
Released: Aug. 9, 2019
Finish: Battle Round, Season 2

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Meg & Dia (Dia Frampton)
“Happysad”
Released: July 26, 2019
Finish: 2nd place, Season 1

Before she auditioned for Season 1 of The Voice and wound up finishing second, Dia Frampton fronted a prolific band called “Meg & Dia” with her sister. Here, the siblings have reunited for their first release in eight years. My favorite among the 10-song collection in a pop-rock tune called “Boys Can Cry.” Also check out “Lit Match,” “Distraction” and the wonderful album-closing ballad “Dear Heart.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Rachel Messer
“California Sunrise” EP
Released: July 26, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 15

Since appearing on The Voice, West Virginian Rachel Messer has been a featured vocalist at Billy Jean Osborne’s Kentucky Opry. But she found time to record this four-track EP, featuring the same type of traditional country sound she displayed on the show. Rachel wrote the excellent lead single “This Old Heart.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Adam Wakefield
“Breaking Strings Live”
Released: July 26, 2019
Finish: 2nd, Season 10

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Tawyna Reynolds
“Watering Dead Flowers”
July 24, 2019
Finish: Knockout round, Season 4

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Chloe MK (Kohanski)
“Fantasy” EP
Released: July 19, 2019
Finish: 1st, Season 13

Congrats to Chloe, who becomes the first Voice winner since Sawyer Fredericks from Season 9 to actually release a major project via her post-victory deal with Republic Records. This six-song collection — Chloe doesn’t like to define it by genre — includes the excellent lead single “To Be Young” and the nostalgic “David Bowie.” As for the stage name change, Chloe says MK sounds “a little more modern and somewhat digital … and it has a little ring to it which I love.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Chris Jamison
“Puzzle Pieces” EP
Released: July 13, 2019
Finish: 3rd, Season 7

This marks the second post-show EP from the Season 7 finalist who says “it has taken a few years, but I finally feel like I’ve found ‘my’ sound.” He delivers heartfelt, soulful pop on this four-song collection, with the ballad “Stay” emerging as the standout track. Another of the songs, “Go,” was released shortly after a mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in his hometown of Pittsburgh, with part of the proceeds pledged to the synagogue.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Noah Mac
“Pretty Boy”
Released: July 12, 2019
Finish: Top 6, Season 13

A DIY album in every sense of the term from the Season 13 standout. Noah wrote all the songs, created all of the sounds and produced and recorded the album in the studio he created in a backyard shed at his parents’ home. Noah, who released a series of singles shortly after his run on the show, also said the new release marked a shift from heaviness to lightheartedness in his music. “All She Wants Is Gold” is a standout track.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Emily Ann Roberts
“Someday Dream” EP
Released: July 12, 2019
Finish: 2nd, Season 9

Emily was just 16 when she finished second on The Voice, which partly explains the nearly four-year gap between then and the release of this six-song EP. Emily said she wanted to make sure her debut “represented me 100 percent.” It’s a solid country collection, and Emily has a writing credit on all but one song. “I’ve Got Forever” is a catchy, up-tempo delight. “Wild” is a single inspired by a boyfriend who, Emily said, gives her the freedom “to be myself.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Nakia
“Real.Live.Blues” EP
Released: June 21, 2019
Finish: Top 8, Season 1

Season 1 Voice standout Nakia waited seven years after the show to release the Blues Grifters album he’d started working on before auditioning. This followup is a six-song live album, named after the first three words in the description of Nakia and the Blues Grifters on their website. A highlight is “300 Pounds of Joy,” featuring Nakia singing about his love of Whataburgers.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Avery Wilson
“8:34 EP”
Released: June 20, 2019
Finish: Knockout round, Season 3

Avery called this EP “8:34” because that was the precise time of his birth and he viewed the project as “a rebirth, if you will.” Signed by Clive Davis after appearing on The Voice at age 16, Avery’s union with RCA Records produced just two singles. Now 23, Avery serves up four tracks of smooth R&B here, with lead single “Callin'” serving as a great reminder of Avery’s vocal prowess.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Teana Boston
“Young World” EP
Released: June 15, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 14

Just 16 when she auditioned for The Voice, Teana was 18 when she released this six-song pop-R&B EP on the same day she graduated from Logan High School in Union City, Calif. Teana said she thought that was appropriate since all the songs were produced during her senior year of high school. “Pageant Queen,” a song about self-confidence regardless of popularity, is the project’s top track.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Ayanna Jahnee
“Gemini” EP
Released: June 7, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 10

Ayanna was the very last contestant picked for Season 10 of The Voice, and this follows 2018’s “Unfinished Business” as her second EP since. The 24-year-old wrote all five songs and said she’s hoping the souful “Printer’s Alley” — written when she was “in a very dark place” — becomes a Nashville anthem. Another top track is the sultry “W.W.B.D.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Megan Lee
“I Am” EP
Released: May 24, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 14

This veteran of the Nickelodeon TV show “Make It Pop” has 44 million views on her YouTube channel, but was barely seen on The Voice. Both of her Season 14 performances were montaged. This marks Megan’s debut EP under her own name and the 23-year-old also calls it a “coming-of-age” project. Be sure to check out “Love Potion” and “Young and Broken.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Casi Joy
“The Bright Side” EP
Released: May 17, 2019
Finish: Top 24, Season 12

“There is always a reason to smile,” Casi Joy says in explaining the title to her first original project since appearing on The Voice. The highlight of the five-song collection is the addictive EP-opening “Final Petal” with its seize-the-moment message. Also be sure to check out the excellent ballad “Even Want To.” Since The Voice, Casi also released three singles you won’t find on the EP.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Funsho
“Numb3rz” EP
Released: May 3, 2019
Finish: Top 24, Season 16

This marks Funsho’s third EP, but his first since appearing on The Voice. it features seven R&B tracks. Highlights include the seductive “2 Soon,” featuring a rap assist from Noochie, and the reggae-flavored and fun party song “Dis Ting,” on which Funsho gets a helping hand from King Kanja.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

The Cyberiam (Keith Semple)
“The Butterfly Effect” EP
Released: May 3, 2019
Finish: Top 20, Season 9

The Cyberiam is a progressive rock band and something of a side project for Keith Semple, front man for the Semple Band. The band describes this EP as a “21-minute epic song.” It’s the second project for The Cyberian, following an award-winning debut album that dropped in 2018. The band also includes Brian Kovacs, Frank Lucas and Tommy Murray.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Keisha Renee
“The Road Less Traveled” EP
Released: April 30, 2019
Finish: Top 8, Season 13

Background singer Keisha “went country” under Blake Shelton’s tutelage in Season 13, and this four-song collection marks her country music debut. It works best when she reaches back to her gospel roots on a song called “Holy Ghost.” In truth, Keisha said mixing soul and country is a sound she’d been working on for four year prior to The Voice.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Anthony Evans
“Altared”
Released: April 26 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 2

After releasing four Christian / Gospel albums, Anthony went more of the pop/R&B route with his 2018 release “Everything Else.” Now he’s back with an uplifting new Christian album, his fourth album since appearing on The Voice. “Fighting For Us” was the lead single, but you’ll also want to check out “Raise a Hallelujah,” “Hope is Alive” and “Reckless Love.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Rizzi Myers
“Stronger” EP
Released: April 16, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 16

Rizzi set a Voice speed record with this EP, dropping it just two weeks after her elimination episode aired. She said the title track stems from her growing confidence in her ability to juggle being an artist, a full-time songwriter, a mother and a wife. But the best track is the sultry “Motives.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Taylor Alexander
“Good Old Fashioned Pain”
Released: April 12, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 12

Okay, this guy turned one chair in the blind auditions and didn’t make it past the battle round on The Voice. Listen to this excellent 10-song throwback country album and you’re sure to think he deserved much, much better. There isn’t a weak track on the album, but if I had to pick my favorites, they’d include “Hole in the Wall,” “Real Good at Saying Goodbye,” “Passing Lane” and “Sorry for Growing up.” If you like classic country music, check out this album!

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Emily Hough
“Glass” EP
Released: Apil 10, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 15

Emily wears her heart on her sleeve on her debut EP, singing mostly about her long-distance romance with fellow Season 15 contestant Anthony Arya. And that pays huge dividends on a sincere five-song, singer-songwriter collection. “Like the Weather” is my favorite, but this is an EP where every song is a winner.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Grant Ganzer
“A4”
Released: April 4, 2019
Finish: Knockout round, Season 7

On Instagram, Grant writes that he poured all his strengths and weaknesses — not to mention about two years of work — into this 13-track debut album. It’s an album that gets stronger the deeper you get into it, with the impassioned “Listen.” as a standout track. Since The Voice, Grant also released an EP called “Grayspaces” (2016).

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Austin Jenckes
“If You Grew Up Like I Did”
March 31, 2019
Finish: Top 10, Season 5

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Tony Lucca
“Ain’t No Storm”
Released: March 29, 2019
Finish: 3rd place, Season 2

Tony says his 10th full-length album — there have been some EPs along the way as well — was inspired by a 2013 move to Nashville and his experience with the city’s songwriting community. He calls opening track “Everything Changes” the cornerstone of the album, the song that convinced him “I still have something sufficient to say.” “Frame by Frame” is thee lead single. “Restless Years,” a standout track, would be right at home on a Tom Petty album.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Josh Gallagher
“Josh Gallagher” EP
Released: March 15, 2019
Finish: 4th place, Season 11

Josh calls the six songs on his post-show debut project “some of the best stuff I’ve ever written” and it’s hard to disagree when you listen to a solid EP diverse enough to satisfy any fan of country music. Highlights include “How Bout You,” which he released as a single about a year ago, and the magnificent EP-closing “Just a Number,” about a struggle with sobriety. Oh, and Josh is already planning another EP release later this year.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sarah Potenza
“Road to Rome”
Released: March 8, 2019
Finish: top 20, Season 8

Sarah serves up a bold, brash and bluesy 10-song collection filled with empowerment anthems like “I Work for Me,” “Diamond” and “Who Do I Think I Am.” But my favorite track is “Keep on Holding’,” about persevering as an musician even when “these roads go in circles.” Sarah co-wrote the album with her husband Ian Crossman and friend Justin Wiseman. It’s her second since The Voice, following 2016’s “Monster.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

J.R. Aquino
“What We Started” EP
Released: March 8, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 4

Five tracks of smooth R&B pop from a singer who hails from Anchorage, Alaska, but now calls Las Vegas home. Lead single “Design” and “Great Escape” are the standout tracks. Since The Voice and a stint on Season 4 of American Idol, J.R. also released a full-length album (2013’s “This Time Around” and a number of singles.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Josh Kaufman
Ndoxo, Vol. 1
Released: March 5, 2019
Finish: 1st, Season 6

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Barrett Baber
“One Night in Woodstock (Live)”
Released: March 1, 2019
Finish: 3rd, Season 9on

Barrett serves up a 15-song live album, recorded in Woodstock, Ga. It features many of Barrett’s most popular originals and four covers, including John Cougar’s “Take the Money and Run” and the Cars’ “Drive.” Among the originals, “What the Hell” and “Something ‘Bout the Summertime” shine especially bright thanks to the live treatment.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Vedo
“Vedo”
Released: March 1, 2019
Finish: Top 12, Season 4

“Sex Playlist” wraps up this 14-track collection and, with songs like “Do It Nasty” and “Hennessy and U,” Vedo seems determined to deliver just that on his third album since appearing on The Voice. Check out “Pull It Up” for its addictive beat, but “U Turn” might be the best and most clever song on the album. Every track comes with an explicit lyric warning.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Karli Webster
“Bittersweet” EP
Released: Feb. 22, 2019
Finish: Top 24, Season 13

She was named after Carly Simon, so it’s only natural that Karli spin a bit of singer-songwriter magic on her five-song debut EP. She does it best with the closing track “Anyone.” ““It’s a peaceful understanding that I am exactly who I’m supposed to be, regardless of whoever might not think it’s good enough,” the 22-year-old explained.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

D.R. King
“It’s My Life” EP
Released: Feb. 22, 2019
Finish: Top 12, Season 14

A six-song collection highlighted by his superb “Love Is a Drug” duet with Season 14 colleague Jackie Foster, a Voice Views pick for one of the top post-Voice songs of 2018. Coincidentally, that song and “Cry Alone” were co-written by former American Idol contestant Brielle Brown. You’ll also want to check out the raucous EP-closing “Do You Love Me.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Pryor Baird
“Pryor Baird” EP
Released: Feb. 20, 2019
Finish: Top 6, Season 14

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Lauren Duski
“Midwestern Girl” EP
Released: Feb. 20, 2019
Finish: 2nd, Season 12

“If you ever want a direct look into my life, just listen to this EP,” says Lauren, who released this debut project independently, nearly two years after her highly successful run on The Voice. The country singer serves up four songs, plus an instrumental intro. The highlight is still her 2018 single “Costume Party.” As of the EPs release, the song had racked up more than 570,000 streams on Spotify; the music video, more than 250,000 views on YouTube.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Brother Bird (Caroline Glaser Swon)
“Brother Bird Vinyl Sessions” EP
Released: Feb. 19, 2019
Finish: Tp 16, Season 4

Since The Voice, Caroline Glaser has married Season 4 cast mate Colton Swon of The Swon Brothers and changed her performance name to Brother Bird. This marked her second EP as Brother Bird, an impressive four-song acoustic set. The standout track is “Leave It Alone,” a song Caroline wrote about being close to someone with mental illness. Advises Caroline: “Do the opposite of the title… ask for help, cry with each other, lean in.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Felicia Temple
“Bedroom Chronicles” EP
Released: Feb. 14, 2019
Finish; Top 24, Season 12

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Jarred Matthew
“Jarred Matthew”
Released: Feb. 12, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 15

Jarred arrived on The Voice stage with a PhD in astrophysics and having done experiments in Antarctica. Now he’s served up his first album, a nine-song self-title project that’s classified as R&B/soul, but includes singer-songwriter and jazz influences. In fact, jazz-infused “Take My Hand” is a standout track, as is the acoustically driven “Wasted and Weary.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Rebecca Loebe
“Give Up Your Ghosts”
Released: Feb. 8, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 1

Rebecca does it again, following up 2017’s “Blink” with another superb singer-songwriter album, filled with gems you need to hear. Among my favorites: “Flying,” “Popular” and “High School Musical.” I guarantee the latter will make you smile. Said Rebecca: “I’m writing a lot of empowerment jams these days, and I think it’s because it’s what I need. I’ve written albums full of what I needed to say, but this album is full of songs I need to hear.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Cassadee Pope
“stages”
Released: Feb. 1, 2019
Finish: Winner, Season 3

Cassadee’s 2013 debut country album was one of the most successful in Voice history. Album number two comes a full five years later and chronicles her ups and downs over a two-year period during which a long-term relationship ended, she embarked on another and parted ways with her label. No wonder she calls it “more personal.” Highlights include the ballad “If My Heart Had a Heart” and “I’ve Been Good” and “Bring Me Down Town.” The latter proves Cassadee hasn’t completely abandoned her pop-rock roots.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Joshua Davis
“Live at the Robin”
Released: Feb. 1, 2018
Finish: 3rd, Season 8

A 15-song live album recorded over two nights at the Robin Theatre in Lansing, Mich., and made possible by a successful Kickstarter campaign. Check out some of the best of Joshua’s songs from the past 20 years, including “The Ballad of Lawrence Wotkyns King” and “Workingman’s Hymn.” And learn how the latter was temporarily hijacked by a GOP candidate during the 2016 Presidential campaign … and no, we’re not talking about President Rump, our orange wannabe king.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Ashley Dubose
“Back to Reality”
Released: Feb. 1, 2019
Finish: Knockout round, Season 5

Ashley’s second major project since The Voice is a seven-song collaboration with the pop-dance producer duo of YNKE (Lance Conrad and Peter John). Highlights include pop-ish “Get Out” and the dance-infused “Only One.” Ashley, who turned four chairs in her Season 5 blind, released a 2015 album called “Be You.” “Intoxicated” from that album has been streamed 5 million times on Spotify.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sundance Head
“Stained Glass and Neon”
Released: Jan. 25, 2019
Finish: Winner, Season 11

When his winner’s record deal yielded zilch, Sundance teamed up with Dean Dillon and Wildcatter Records to release this 13-song country-rock-soul collection. It comes a full two years after his Voice victory and features the lead single “Leave Her Wild.” But be sure to check out the rocking “It Hurts” and “Let Me Go to Hell.” The album features just two Sundance co-writes, but the former Voice champ said “all of the songs just scream Sundance Head.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Kristen Merlin
“Human Beings” EP
Released: Jan. 25, 2019
Finish: Top 5, Season 6

“Don’t Call It a Comeback” was the first single from Kristen’s EP. The song’s about ex-lovers who can’t resist a momentary reunion. But the EP marked something of a comeback for Kristen, marking her first original release in four years and the debut of a more country-rock sounds. She co-wrote three of the five songs, including the unity anthem title track and “Disengage,” my favorite from the EP.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Tyke James
“Alaska” EP
Released: Jan. 25, 2019
Finish: Top 13, Season 15

So the folk-rock singer-songwriter from Hawaii named his first-ever solo EP “Alaska.” But that’s not the last surprise on this three-song collection. The final song, “Baby,” has a definite Frank Sinatra vibe. Tyke, 17 when he auditioned for The Voice, hits the singer-songwriter sweet spot with “Tracy Arm.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Austin Giorgio
“Crooner”
Released: Jan. 20, 2019
Finish: Top 20, Season 14

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Josh Hoyer and the Soul Colossal
“Do It Now”
Released: Jan. 18, 2019
Finish: Battle round, Season 12

Josh and his band throw a 10-song funk soul party, tossing in a broad dash of rock on the rousing “Star Culture.” You’ll also want to check out the album opening “Love Song” and standout track “Tell Me Why.” This marks the fourth full-length album from Josh and his band. He also released a three-song EP “The End of the Night” last January.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Zaxai
“Too Far Gone” EP
Released: Jan. 11, 2019
Finish: Top 24, Season 15

An EP three years in the making and worth the wait, Zaxai explains that “too far gone” were “the last words my ex-fiancée told me before we split.” Heartbreak produced great music as Zaxai worked through the pain. The EP features an instrumental into and exit and four songs. “Find it Here” is excellent. “You Were the One” is even better, one of the best post-Voice songs we’re likely to get in 2019.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Will Champlin
“Chasing Fire” EP
Released: Jan. 11, 2019
Finish: 3rd, Season 5

An impressive five-song collection from the Season 5 finalist, who described it as “a mix of #indierock and #postedm sounds that will resonate with your inner ambitions.” These songs will get you moving too, especially the title track, “Overdrive” and “Shake It Up.” This marked Will’s first multi-song release since his 2014 post-Voice album, “Borrowing Trouble,” but he’s released several singles in the interim, including the recent “Picasso in My Pocket.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Malik Davage
“The Call Back”
Released: Jan. 11, 2019
Finish: Knockout round, Season 12

Malik is “hittin’ it from behind” by the eighth line of the first song on this 11-track album. With songs like “Rain,” “Green Light” and porn star moans in the background of “Call My Name,” it’s an album sorely in the need of more sonic and thematic diversity. “Low” doesn’t help in the latter regard, but is worth a listen thanks to a nice vocal assist by LaChai.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Jaclyn Lovey
“Out of September” EP
Released: Jan. 1, 2019
Finish: Knockout round, Season 14

If the title of this three-song EP and the timing of the release seem at odds, Jaclyn explains. She says the EP was conceived and created during the autumn of 2018, when she was living in L.A. The songs, she said, “seemed to sum up my time in L.A., everything I’ve learned and how I want to move forward in my life.” “Canada Boy” became a music video, but my favorite vocal on the EP comes with the closing track, “Arkansas River.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sheena Brook
“4 Chords and the Dirty Truth” EP
Released: Dec. 31, 2018
Finish: Battle round, Season 12

The EP features four somewhat ribald ditties from the perspective of a gay female. And whether you’re a dog lover or not, I dare you to listen to “Dogs Are Better Than People” and not get it stuck in your head for the rest of the day. This marks the second EP since The Voice for the Fort Myers, Fla., singer-songwriter (wife Summer Stockton often pitches in) since The Voice, following 2017’s “The First Time.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Mikele Buck Band
“Hillbilly Love Stories Vol. 1”
Released: Dec. 31, 2018
Finish: Battle round, Season 15

An impressive six-song EP from Mikele and producer Eric Torres, whom Mikele said he met through fellow Season 15 contestant Caeland Garner. “With Me Now” makes for a fine single, but also be sure to give a listen to country rocker “Black Berry Wine” and “Don’t Wanna Miss You Tonight.” Pre-Voice, Mikele released his debut album back in 2005. He and his band also released a live album in 2017.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–