Idol Chatter & Voice Views

A new season, two new coaches and lots of new talent.

There’s plenty to look forward to on Season 7 of The Voice.

Including, perhaps, the appearance of York County singer DaNica Shirey, a 25-year-old Red Lion grad who has posted about auditioning for the show on Facebook.

The new coaches, of course, are Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani, who are taking seats vacated by Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilera.

The hold-overs are Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, who had coached the winning singer for the show’s first five seasons, a streak broken when Josh Kaufman, coached by Usher, claimed the Season 6 crown.

And it’s time to meet some talent.

1. Luke Wade, 31, Dublin, Texas: His dad is a painter and his mom ran a dance studio, so artistry runs in his family. Luke cleaned his mom’s dance studio to get an allowance and says he developed a love of classical music listening to music while working there. He’s also overcome some obstacles; a friend accidentally shot him and he lost the vision in his right eye when he was 13. He’ll sing “That’s How Strong Love Is.” Wow, and the coaches must be eager to land a singer. All four spin around in rapid succession during the first verse of Luke’s performance. Luke’s got a fine, soulful voice and is pouring lots of passion into the first performance of Season 7. Heck, he drops to his knees for the closing notes. And after some intense lobbying, Luke joins Team Pharrell, who vowed that he knows just what to do with Luke’s voice.

2. Clara Hong, 22, Atlanta, Ga.: She was born in South Korea; her parents moved the family to the U.S. when she was 8. She couldn’t speak English at the time and says music was her escape and helped her learn the language. Two years into college, she wasn’t very happy and decided she wanted to pursue music. She wants to prove to her parents that she can succeed at music. Oh, and she’s been a Pharrell fan since middle school so, if he turns his chair, he could have a second singer very quickly. She’s going to sing “Chuck E’s in Love.” Heck, Adam turns around within a couple of notes, quickly followed by Gwen and Pharrell. Nice solid performance from Clara, with a big glory note and a nice ending. The only coach who wound up facing in the wrong direction was Blake. Pharrell calls her tone “silk” and compliments her on her control of her voice. Gwen liked the match of singer and song and calls her voice “alluring.” Adam writes her a poem, which is a Voice first. And Clara decides to join — surprise, Team Adam.

3. Bryana Salaz, 16, San Antonio, Texas: Bryana’s dad is in the military, which means she’s been hopping from one location to another every two years. Bryana says she’s done a lot of other singing competitions, but nothing nearly as large as The Voice, and she admits, she’s a bit nervous about performing in front of the likes of Adam. She’s singing “Problem,” and gets Adam, Blake and Gwen to turn quickly. Here’s a young lady with loads of charisma and potential, but who needs some coaching on how to control that big voice of hers. She’s going to get it, because she’s definitely landed a spot on Season 7. Gwen calls her a “little sparkly princess girl” and says she couldn’t “touch” what Bryana has going on when she was 16. She plays the “girl card” in hopes of landing Bryana. And Bryana joins Team Gwen, leaving Blake as the only judge who hasn’t landed a singer.

4. Dennis Bell, 52, Mansfield, La.: He works with his two sons and nephew in the “dirt contracting business.” He says he’s been singing since he was 4 and won a talent contest when he was a senior in high school. But his dad had a heart attack and he gave up music to help run the family business. He says he’s been off the stage for 22 years. He’ll sing “She Used to be Mine.” This guy has Team Blake written all over him, but the judges are slow to turn their chairs. And no one turns, making Dennis the first singer to fail to turn a chair tonight. Oh, well, really nice country sound to his voice. And Dennis walks off calling it a “great experience” and saying he’s glad he auditioned.

5. Damien, 35, Monroe, La.: His full named is Damien Lawson, and he moved from Louisiana to L.A. at age 22 to try to make it in music. He now works as a TSA agent at an airport. Two of his co-workers were shot when a gunman enter LAX; he wound up singing a funeral for one of those co-workers. He said the incident made him even more convinced to try to make it in music. “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” will be his audition song, and he gets three coaches — Gwen, Pharrell and Adam — to turn in a heartbeat. And this guy is displaying the best pure voice we’ve heard so far tonight. Really impressive. Impressive range too. A high note prompts Blake to join the other judges, making Damien tonight’s second recipient of a four-chair turn. Very well done. Best so far, I’d say. Damien is crying with joy over the judges’ reaction and gets a hug from Gwen. Pharrell calls his voice “amazing.” Gwen calls his performance “tasteful.” Blake says he has the voice to stand out on the show and in the music industry. And Damien decides to join Team Adam.

6. Allison Bray, 18, Louisville, Ky.: This teen auditioned for Season 6, but didn’t turn a chair. She says she went home afterward, got a band together that plays rock and country music, and is determined to show the coaches she has what it takes to land a spot on the show. She’ll sing country, “Merry Go Round.” Really strong start to her performance. And before she hits the verse, she has Gwen and Blake facing in her direction. Adam soon joins them. Allison has a really pleasant voice, not to mention a dazzling smile. Really nice country audition on a show where top country acts typically do very well. Blake calls her voice “a breath of fresh air” and says she “blew him away.” Gwen suggests that a collaboration that wouldn’t seem logical might be best for Allison. And, of course, Allison picks Team Blake.

7. Meg, 23, Redondo Beach, Ca.: She says she was in her first musical at age 8 and has been performing ever since. Meg calls Gwen Stefani a huge inspiration for her, especially in terms of wanting to be part of a band. Meg’s band is called Party for One. She’ll audition with “Celebrity Skin.” Unfortunately, the nerves might be kicking in, because that opening was a little rough. There were spots where it was tough to hear her voice over the music. The song ends with no coaches facing in Meg’s direction, meaning she misses out on Season 7. Blake says he was having trouble making out the lyrics.

8. Taylor John Williams, 23, Portland, Oregon: He’s introduced to us as a folk-pop singer and home video shows he liked to get attention as a performer at a young age. He works at Sniff Dog Hotel, a place where people can drop off their dogs for a day and grab a drink. He works as a server and entertainer. “If I can get the attention of customers, with their dogs running around, I think I can get the attention of the coaches,” he says. Taylor is going to sing an acoustic version of “Heartless.” One line in, Adam turns around. Midway through the performance, he’s joined by Gwen. Nice wrinkle at the end of that performance by Taylor. Gwen calls his performance “rad;” Adam says he’s “the real deal.” Adam says every note he hit was perfect. And Taylor joins Team Gwen.

9. Elyjuh Rene, 18, Long Beach, Ca.: He says he loves singing R&B and soul and a little pop. He says he started singing when he was 3 with his mom and has been performing ever since and shows up in a matching shirt with his mom-inger. He says he doesn’t mind being a momma’s boy. For the past four years, Elyjuh says he’s been involved in performing arts competitions. He’ll audition with Beyonce’s “XO” and predicts the coaches will be shocked to see who’s singing it. His crystal clear vocals prompt chair turns from Adam and Pharrell in a heartbeat. The opening was the strongest part of the performance, which might explain why the early chair turns were the only ones Elyjuh earned. Still, it was a pretty solid effort and the fact that he’s earned a spot on the show has tears in his eyes. Adam calls his performance “blissful,” and Pharrell calls him “one of the most amazing vocalists” he’s heard. And Elyjuh joins Team Pharrell.

10. Bianca Espinal, 21, New York: She calls her dad her biggest inspiration; he was a musician as well. They play together in a subway in New York and make pretty good money. The intention of trying to grab people’s attention in a subway station should help her on The Voice stage, Briaca says. She’s going to attempt Jewel’s “Foolish Games.” And she starts very strong, then strays a bit vocally. And none of the chairs turn, but Bianca gets a nice ovation from the crowd. She’s clearly a bit disappointed by the result, but gets some comforting from Pharrell.

11. James David Carter, 34, Atlanta, Ga.: He says he was most interested in sports in high school, but he jumped up for an interception in his senior year and wound up wrecking his knee. After that happened, he turned to country music and says he’s managed to make his living as a solo musician for the past 12 years. Of course, he sees The Voice as a chance at his “big break.” He’s going to audition with “Nobody Knows.” The guy immediately displays a good voice, and within a couple lines has all four coaches facing in his direction. Adam was first to turn around. James David delivers a solid performance from start to finish with a really nice ending. That makes three four-chair turns tonight. Pharrell likes the fact that there wasn’t “a single nervous moment” in his performance. Blake calls his audition maybe the best country audition he’s heard on the show. Adam is guaranteeing a victory if paired with James David. And after all the pitches, James David decides to join Team Blake.