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Reality TV Recap

'The Voice': Final blind auditions recap

Aired Tuesday, Oct 8 2013 at 8:38pm EDT on

It's the final night of the blind auditions here on The Voice, which means the stakes are higher than ever for the remaining hopefuls who want a spot on one of the coaches' teams. Let's not waste any time and get right into it, shall we?

First up, it's Matt Cermanski, a second-time auditioner who really took the advice he received last season to heart in an attempt to improve. To be fair, he wasn't all that good last year and I wouldn't have put him through either, but this time around he's sure he can impress. He's singing 'Have a Little Faith In Me' - a great track and one that he does a lot better than last time.

'The Voice' season 5 premiere: Adam Levine, Ceelo Green, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton

© NBC Universal / Trae Patton

The judges on 'The Voice' Season 5 premiere

He immediately gets Adam and Blake to turn around, though I'm still not convinced. He sounds like a dozen other singer/songwriter bros out there, but whatever. It's all very boring, but I guess they see some potential in his faletto and wannabe crooner style. Cee Lo sees it, as well, and gets in at the last minute.

Cee Lo thinks he did a great job and sounded great. That's literally all he said. Blake is "excited" to hear the way Matt played around the song, comparing it to a cat playing with a mouse. He also loves the versatility that Matt showed and claims that's what could win the show (before pointing out that indeed he has won several times now). Adam is happy that he's back again, which shows off his resilience, and sees so much growth in him from the two performances he's seen. Matt eventually decides to work with Adam.

Next up, it's 22-year-old San Antonio native Diego Roman Navaira, a Latin-American rocker. His dad is a Tejana singer, but Diego is ready to go his own way and strike it big. He decides to sing 'Rebel Yell' for his audition, and it starts off a bit rough and all over the place, but I sorta feel like that might be the point. None of the coaches really seem to know what to do with him however, as none seem tempted to turn around. Cee Lo briefly considers it, but unfortunately, no chairs are turned at the end of his performance.

The Voice - blind auditions: Matt Cermanski

© NBC Universal / Tyler Golden

Matt Cermanski

The Voice - blind auditions: Tamara Chauniece

© NBC Universal / Tyler Golden

Tamara Chauniece

Tamara Chauniece is 23 and from Texas. She grew up singing in the church - her mom's a minister - and has known she's wanted to be a singer since she was really young. She takes on Beyoncé's "1+1", which gets Christina's buzzer pushed right away. Cee Lo turns around not long after. She's pretty good, but she tries to hit too many runs and doesn't spend enough time just singing the actual melody of the song. I don't like her very much, but eh, whatever.

Cee Lo wants to know how long she's been singing because it was gorgeous, and so she is (of course). He felt like there was just enough and not too much of anything, whatever that means. Christina relates by saying that they began singing at the same age and she feels "touched" at having heard her sing today. Still, it's up to Tamara who she wants to work with, and she goes with Cee Lo despite his several uncomfortable remarks about her appearance.

Moving right along, it's Brandon Chase, a 20-year-old from Arlington, Texas. Music is his passion, so he's singing a country track called 'Wanted'. He's not bad - he could be a country star, for sure. However, there's not anything special about what he does. He's just okay rather than anything spectacular. Apparently he's enough for Blake, though, as he presses his button. Cee Lo turns around, as well... bizarre.

Cee Lo believes he can offer Brandon advice and believes he can take him to the next level. Blake questions whether he wants to be a country singer (duh, he does) before saying that country is something you can't fake and Brandon has country in his blood. Unsurprisingly, Brandon chooses to work with Blake.

The Voice - blind auditions: Brandon Chase

© NBC Universal / Tyler Golden

Brandon Chase

The Voice - blind auditions: Lupe Carroll

© NBC Universal / Tyler Golden

Lupe Carroll

Lupe Carroll has been delivering flowers as his "day job" for the past three years, but he hopes The Voice can change all that. Of course, who wouldn't love to be famous instead of working? Come on! Tonight, he's singing 'If I Were a Carpenter' and playing the guitar - and he's actually quite good. He has a nice little melodic quality to his voice, though he almost seems like he's impersonating what's his name - Ray LaMontagne. Still, Cee Lo is convinced and presses his button, but that's it. They might make a good duo!

Next, it's 25-year-old Grey. God, she annoys me already - you are not Madonna, girl. She's currently working with a wedding band and works at Anthropologie (of course), but she wants to be famous, yada yada. Her song is Kelly Clarkson's 'Catching My Breath' and she's okay, but nothing special. Adam disagrees with me, however - both Adam and Blake turn around for her. At the last minute, she also gets Cee Lo. What are these people hearing that I'm not?

Blake claims that his heart is pounding, which only happens now and then, because it's rare that he hears a voice that he thinks could win this, and he's sure she has it. He also claims working with other coaches would be a "dead end" for her. Cee Lo says that her voice was very "matter-of-fact" - plain and simple and polite. Uh, well, that certainly translates into star power. She eventually decides to work with Adam, which doesn't take much convincing on his part.

Dominic Scott Kay is 17 and from Malibu - and he's no stranger to the entertainment industry. He's been in movies for a long time, his dad is in The Commodores and basically I have no idea why he's trying out for this show. He's singing 'Easy' by his dad's band, and he's... okay, but again, nothing particularly special. He uses a lot of affectations and weird vocal curls that are just, well, not very good - but watch everyone turn around since I apparently know nothing. No one turns around for him, thankfully, though they do offer him some good advice.

The Voice - blind auditions: Grey Paluszynski

© NBC Universal / Tyler Golden

Grey Paluszynski

The Voice - blind auditions: Michael Lynch

© NBC Universal / Tyler Golden

Michael Lynch

Michael Lynch is up next, and he does pop with a Latin influence. He's in no way Latin or Hispanic, he just really loves the culture, so he's singing 'Bailamos' by Enrique Iglesias. Oh, brother. He's actually really good, and he gets Christina to turn around within the first few opening bars. Blake and Cee Lo aren't very far behind. He does have a fantastic voice, the more I listen to him, but I have no idea what this guy is gonna do next.

Blake compliments his amazing pitch and rhythm - not to mention his fun factor. He thinks Michael has a lot of talent and would love to have him on his team. Christina questions whether he speaks Spanish and he speaks a bit of it for her, before remarking how obsessed he is with Spanish, considering he's a white boy. She likes that he started out simple - almost a cappella - because it immediately grabbed her. Cee Lo doesn't say much about it, but asks if he wants to win. Obviously! Michael eventally decides to work with Christina... and they do a little salsa together and start singing. What is happening right now?

Let's move on. Next, 17-year-old Deanna Johnson from Hazlehurst, Georgia is from a small town but joining the big time. Everyone might assume she loves country music, but she'd prefer to do pop, like Adele or something. For her audition, she's chosen 'Stars' by Grace Potter, and indeed she has a good tone to her. There's something about her voice that I really like, but for some reason, the coaches aren't turning around. Ouch.

The Voice - blind auditions: Brian Pounds

© NBC Universal / Tyler Golden

Brian Pounds

The Voice - blind auditions: Shawn Smith

© NBC Universal / Tyler Golden

Shawn Smith

Brian Pounds is 24 and a "folk-soul singer-songwriter" and a full-time musician. Well, this should be interesting. He's performing a country song whose title I unfortunately missed the name of. Oh wait, it's 'Wagon Wheel'! Blake and Cee Lo are the only ones with a spot left on their teams, and Blake decides to take a chance on Brian, so he's all his... or is he? Perhaps not - Cee Lo turns around, too!

After a bit of arguing between them, with Blake claiming that he's the only logical choice, given that he's a country singer and Cee Lo countering that even Rick Rubin produced music of various genres. After giving it a bit more thought, Brian decides to work with Blake, and that fills out his team.

Finally, it's Shawn Smith, a bartender from New York who is obviously going to end up on Cee Lo's team since we're nearing the end of the broadcast. He sings 'Chicken Fried' and does a pretty good job of it - he's got potential, I'll say that. He doesn't do all that much for me personally, but then, I'm not really a country fan. Indeed, Cee Lo was looking for a sign and got one and Shawn is in.

And that's it for the blind auditions! In the next round, we'll be sending a bunch of people home after some heated battle rounds. Oh yeah, and the steals are back this season, too. Don't you just love it?

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