The coaches continued to reduce their teams this week on The Voice Of Ireland – and there were a few unexpected eliminations to say the least.
Team Kian: Kian called his first pairing of Siobhan McKenna and Sharon Gaynor “Clash of the Titans,” as he felt that they were the two “big singing divas” on his team. Following their sensational blind auditions (Siobhan sang Beyoncé’s Listen, and Sharon sang Aretha Franklin’s Think), I had high expectations for the soulful pair - and they didn't disappoint!
Thankfully Kian picked a powerful song to showcase their diverse vocal range, and it was one of the best cover versions of Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me that I have heard in a long time. The harmonies weren’t pitch perfect, but overall they both gave a stunning performance. It was unfortunate that 23-year-old New Jersey native Siobhan was sent home, but I would have been equally upset if full-time mum Sharon didn’t make it to the lives.
Musical lover Lucy O’ Bryne first wowed Kian with her classic rendition of Smile, while Kansas man Kyle’s “defeatist attitude” was a cause of concern for the coach. I was surprised when Kian chose the Diana Ross and Westlife version of When You Tell Me That You Love Me, as I felt it would only put more pressure on the duo to impress their coach.
Lucy’s silky smooth voice really did the song justice, and her performance was flawless. Kyle brought a lot of personality and charm to the performance, and it was nice to see that he conquered his nerves. I empathised wth Kian for having to make the difficult decision, but in the end he went with Kyle who he felt brought his A-game. Did he make the right choice?
Team Sharon: Sharon gave professional singer Ingrid Madsen and student Kevin Keeley one of my all time favourite songs - I Can’t Make You Love Me by Lady Antebellum. It is an emotional track that requires passion and chemistry, and both singers lacked these traits during their performance.
Poor Kevin looked uncomfortable and awkward looking into Ingrid’s eyes, and overall the performance looked stiff and contrived. Brian felt that the whole thing sounded a bit like a “karaoke session,” while Bressie was careful not to offend the pair saying: “I don’t like making singers feel bad about themselves. I think you both just lack experience.” Sharon chose Tallaght man Kevin to go through to the lives.
I was surprised when Sharon chose Kim Hayden over Galway girl Ailbhe Hession, as Kim struggled with the harmonies during rehearsals. Ailbhe also appeared to have stronger vocals during the routine of Pink’s Sober prompting Bressie to say: “Ailbhe, your voice got better and better as it went on.”
However, Kim really put her heart and soul into last night’s performance (there were some elaborate stage movements), and it was clear that she was fighting for her place in the competition. I reckon Kim could be the dark horse in the show.
Team Bressie: Jessica Pritzel and Kate Gilmore were given an interesting song choice of Evanescence’s Immortal, and as Bressie had hoped for it really did throw them out of their comfort zone. Kate looked extremely nervous during rehearsals, and at one stage her eyes even welled up. When it came to crunch time, the tables turned and Jessica looked like she had seen a ghost. I fear that Jessica may be a one trick pony. Hopefully she can prove me wrong during the lives!
It was lovely to see Gari Deegan and Dervla Magennis getting along so well. Luckily the pair took the flirting and date comments from the coaches with a pinch of salt (phew). Dervla excelled during the duet of Don’t Upset The Rhythm, while JT’s doppelganger Gari brought some cheeky flair. I loved how Dervla worked the stage with her dance moves. Based on the level of energy and enthusiasm that Dervla brought to the performance, she should have stayed.
Team Brian: At first I thought Brian had a big fat disaster on his hands when he picked Dirty Old Town for Brendan Keeley and Neil McGrath. Brian was concerned that Neil would crumble under the pressure, but he managed to deliver a superb performance. I adored Neil’s raspy sounding voice, and enjoyed how he put his own stamp on the song. Brendan has a fantastic sound and is really talented, but I feel that Neil deserved his moment to shine. Don’t give up Neil!
I was a fan of Claire O’ Loughlin from the auditions after she hit some outstanding low notes while singing Alone. When it came to singing Nothing Compares To You, both Angela Shanny and Claire sounded off key in parts. The pair didn’t really work well together, and their voices clashed for the majority of the song. Like Kian, I agree that the performance was just okay. I know that Claire has a lot more to bring to the competition. Watch this space!
Next week the battle rounds come to an end. Who do you think wll make the final cut?
Laura Delaney
