It’s back!! This is by far my favorite reality TV show. For those of you who don’t know, The Sing Off is a competition using voices only. Singers will even emulate drums and other percussion sounds, called “beat boxing.” Last night, we were introduced to 8 of the 16 groups. Two were sent home.
First off, we have a new judge! Sara Bareilles joined Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman. Honestly, she’s a much better fit than Nicole Scherzinger. Nicole, although a talented vocalist, is more known for her sex appeal than her musical ability. Plus, her critiques were slow and syrup-like. Sarah has more credentials; she’s a songwriter and was in a college vocal group. So we now have Ben, who brings highly technical musical critiques, Shawn who mastered blending and harmonizing while in Boyz II Men, and Sara giving the best of both worlds with a feminine flair. Like many women judges, she tends to be more encouraging and less critical than her male counterparts.
The first to perform was YellowJackets, an all-male group from the University in Rochester. Their rendition of “Wavin’ Flag” was tight and full of energy. They featured 4 or 5 solos instead of the typical 1 or two, which shows me the depths of the group’s talent. They succeeded in a flawless key change, although I felt they got so loud at times that it was difficult to hear the lead vocal. Hearing it on TV as opposed to live can have drawbacks.
Next was Fannin Family, a group of 11 – yes, 11! – brothers and sisters, who sang “Who Says.” They worked well together, and blending wasn’t a problem. However, the lead vocal was 14. I hate to say anything bad about someone that young, but she just wasn’t vocally strong enough to carry it. The song started out too low, causing the rest of the group to back off so you could hear her, then she went a little flat at the end. Sounded like nerves. More practice and experience would benefit them greatly.
Next was Afro-Blue from Howard University, singing their version of “Put Your Records On.” I was awed with their jazzy, soulful style. The girls especially have lots of personality. They blend well AND have smooth, unique voices. I love how Shawn compared the lead vocal Christie’s voice to “warm butter on grits.” Yeah, she was that good.
Fourth was Delilah, the all-girls group composed from season 1 and 2 contestants. They sang “Grenade” in a slower style, reminding me of a power ballad in the 80s. The lead singer, Amy was fabulous (even if she was wearing a jacket from Madonna’s wardrobe). It’s difficult to sound that smooth when singing that high. The group showed perfect pitch with their tight harmonies and included lots of dynamics.
I wasn’t looking forward to Urban Method, artists from Denver. One of their lead vocals is a rapper (ironic?). Very out-of-the-box for a capella, and he raps well, but I don’t like rap. I also don’t like the song “Love the Way You Lie.” That being said, the song sounded like a track instead of voices, so I have to give big props to the beat boxers and background vocals.
Next was Cats Pajamas, 5 guys from Branson who perform 200 shows a year. They sang “Some Kind of Wonderful” and technically did a great job. With only 5 voices, they have a clean sound and use tight, difficult harmonies very classic in a capella music. Lots of choreography, but not very current. I wondered why they were here if they’ve already found success in Branson…
Kinfolk 9 is difficult to critique. I was moved by their story of sacrifice and wanting to do this to better family situations. They sang “Secrets,” with a lot of their own flavor. Personally, I feel songs by OneRepublic don’t need to be doctored that much. The lead male vocal has a strong voice and wide range, and I liked how they dropped the beat in certain areas for emphasis. Overall, the mood was a little sad though.
Last of the night was Vocal Point, an all-boys group from BYU. Their rendition of “Jump Jive and Wail” lived up to the name. They have lots of vocal energy, and the ending was really cool trumpet sounds, ending on an unresolved chord. They did a modulation that got great kudos from Ben Folds. They’re really fun to watch.
SPOILER!
This week, the judges voted two groups off. To me, Afro-Blue and Delilah are obvious frontrunners, so I knew they were safe. The first to be eliminated was Fannin Family, which came as no surprise. They weren’t ready yet. The surprise came when they voted off Cats Pajamas. I was thinking Kinfolk 9 was going home. I wondered if they were voted off because they don’t really need it, or if they were just driven to give Kinfolk 9 a second chance. But at the same time, I thought they needed to be more current and original. I guess the judges did too.
Next week, we meet 8 more groups. Can't wait!
