The best way to sum up Tuesday’s episode of NBC’s The Voice would be to say that the voices won out over the flamboyant, at least in most cases.
In the process, we were reintroduced to another likely front-runner, 22-year-old Jeff Jenkins from Jones Creek, Texas.
Jeff looks in dire need of one of those renowned head-to-toe American Idol makeovers. Simply put, he isn’t likely to remind anyone of a hunky country singing star, say a Blake Shelton.
But there’s certainly nothing wrong with his voice. Or with his back-story. Jeff’s mom died about a year ago; it was their dream that he make a name for himself in music. So he sings in her honor.
He sang well enough in the blind auditions to prompt all four of The Voices’ judges/mentors to turn their chairs, indicating they wanted him on their team.
And he sang well enough Tuesday to dispatch of Casey Desmond, a glam rocker with Gaga-ish aspirations judging from the star makeup she wears around one eye in many of her YouTube videos.
Casey sang well, but not too many of the semifinalists on The Voice would have shined alongside Jeff.
So consider Jeff an early front-runner as The Voice begins live shows next Tuesday (9 p.m. NBC). That list should also include his Team Adam Levine teammate Javier Colon, Beverly McClellan of Team Christina Aguilera and Vicci Martinez of Team Cee Lo Green.
You’ll notice I didn’t put any of Tuesday’s other battle round winners in that group. That’s because they simply aren’t nearly as impressive as Jeff.
On Team Blake, 16-year-old Xenia had better savor her battle round victory over fellow teen Sara Oromchi, because she won’t last long on the live shows unless she gets a sudden shot of self-confidence.
On Team Christina, Lilly Elise could have won dual awards for oversinging and underdressing, but somehow managed to advance over country background singer Cherie Oakley. They sang Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone.”
And on Team Cee Lo, The Voice lost an Idol connection. Tattoo-covered punk rocker Emily Valentine — Emily Wynne-Hughes when she made it to Hollywood on Idol — squared off against Curtis Grimes singing Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now,” a song I’m sure punk rockers dream about performing … well, maybe in their nightmares.
Curtis prevailed, though Emily was clearly the more boisterous of the two. And don’t feel too bad for her. She admitted she was crushing on Curtis, and they surprised the judging panel by sealing their duet with a kiss.
All of which leaves the Voice with 16 singers entering the live shows, including three male country singers — Curtis, who always wears a baseball cap; Patrick Thomas, who always wears a cowboy hat; and Jeff, who would probably look silly in either.
Help him refine his look, Adam, and you might have a winner on your hands.
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