NBC’s ‘The Voice’ review: Meet Preston Pohl, Kaley Cuoco’s sister Briana Cuoco
For its third blind auditions episode on “The Voice” tonight, there was yet again some great talent that came out. What has made this show really start to propel ahead of “The X Factor” and some other competitions is simply that it’s all talent; there are no bad auditions, and the coaches are able to propel the entertainment value.
Was there some controversy in this episode as well? Sure, but that is a subject for a little bit later on in the review. For now, let’s go through this bit by bit, but the focus here is only on the artists that actually got a chair to turn around for them.
Ray Boudreaux – We begin tonight with a man described both as “swampy” (is that a good thing?) a “blue-eyed soul,” and a man with a surprising voice since he looks and speaks like someone who would be a major country music fan. Typically there is a bizarre, magnetic-almost attraction that forces country stars to choose Blake, but since Ray was really not a country singer, it was possible he could change his mind. Not so much. Pick: Blake Shelton.
Lena Gaudenzi – A strange voice, that is for sure. Singing “Landslide” is a song that tends to allow strange voices to really stand out and shine, so this was a good choice. She is the sort of artist that makes for an interesting addition for Christina as a mentor, given that she has such a booming, powerful voice. Lena doesn’t have that. Pick: Christina Aguilera.
Juhi Pathak – From her hair to an outfit, Juhi definitely felt perfect for a certain quirky coach. Let’s just be happy that she went with that and picked Cee Lo Green. When you think that Blake Shelton is completely dominant on this show, it’s going to take that perfect pairing to unite all of the non-country fans. With the right choices, this could be the perfect pairing. Pick: Cee Lo Green.
Justin Blake – It’s a country singer not with Blake … even though he chose one of his songs! To be fair, Blake did not actually turn around for Justin’s audition, and there was no real debate here about him being with anyone other than Team Adam. He seems like a nice enough guy with a good story, but he’ll have a hard time in the next round against better singers. Pick: Adam Levine
Timyra-Joy – A 15-year old girl that is the sort of contestant that coaches salivate over. She is not previously-discovered like some of these other people, and with the right training could really become something in the industry. In reality, Christina should be the choice here. She know this age group and this voice. Luckily she changed her mind after initially wanting to be on Team Cee Loo. Pick: Christina Aguilera.
Monika Leigh – Wait, did Blake try to argue that Cassadee Pope is not a country artist in his pitch to get her on his team? Well, she may not have been at first, but he turned her into one. Monika feels a little like Lana Del Rey, except without the overt mysteriousness that drives so many non-hipsters crazy. If we were her, we would have probably picked Adam, but we also see Blake doing a course-correction this year and not bringing many country singers to the live shows to prove something. Pick: Blake Shelton.
Briana Cuoco – Now for some of that controversy. Usually “The Voice” gives it to you straight, but it was interesting that they didn’t point out that Kaley Cuoco’s sister has a history of doing some other work (see her IMDb) beyond just being a personal assistant. With that being said, being a famous person’s sibling is not a reason to keep someone off of the show. She’s a pretty good singer, and you have to watch out for her if she makes it to the live rounds. Pick: Christina Aguilera.
George Horga Jr. – This audition seemed very short, but effective. He comes from a close-knit family, is energetic and fun, and could do very well if he gets deep in the competition. For one, he’s got that look that seems to be one part Derek Hough, and one part Justin Bieber. The ladies are going to love him. Pick: Cee Lo Green.
Preston Pohl – The former StorySide:B rocker closed the show, and showed to people who may have known him from his days as a guitarist that he can also sing. This guy is a serious contender for this whole thing; the vocal ability is also there, but the Christian music fanbase could also be behind him. Pick: Adam Levine.
As per usual with our “Voice” reviews, be sure to share your favorite from the night below! Meanwhile, click here if you want to see some other folks who you may have heard of who have auditioned for the show already.
Photo: NBC