With three decades of experience promoting a cappella music through numerous recording projects and concerts all over the world, Keith Lancaster and Acappella are excited about NBC's talent show, "The Sing-Off." The show is a high-profile platform that will expose thousands of people to a cappella music.
Check out our take on the top contestants after each airing of "The Sing-Off." You can also get the reviews "hot off the presses through our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Episode # 3
Robin's review:
Somebody turned up the thermostat, yet again, on the third episode of The Sing-Off! This time, it was all about classic, feel-good, blood-pumping, nostalgic, great music.
So, which group or groups did I like best? I loved the Voices Of Lee for their soulful, warm, rich sound. They presented a beautiful medley of the music of The Beatles. There were times when I felt like their arrangement sounded reminiscent of Take 6. Outstanding! The judges chose Michael Jackson's "Man In The Mirror" for them to sing. Musically, they were spot-on. Their arrangement, although very good and personalized, didn't lend itself to that same intensity and drive as the original. Even so, they did a tremendous job!
But I had to vote for Nota. The unique Latin vibe they bring to each tune, plus their sheer funkiness did it for me. They broke out with a medley from one of my favorite groups of all time, The Jackson 5. When they got to their song that was selected by the judges, "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel, there were some guys in the group who didn't know the tune. Although their performance communicated their slight discomfort, they were very professional and even more funky! They know very well how to groove and, well ... you know I gotta have groove!
Wes' review:
First of all, a quick shout-out to the SoCals. The "electric guitar" solo during "Don't Stop Believin'" was one of my favorite things on the show.
Nota remains a strong favorite, even though it wasn't their best night. Though I wasn't as excited about the performance and arrangement of the J5 medley as some, it definitely had its moments, especially the breakdown during "ABC." You could tell they weren't as confident on "Sledgehammer," but I really liked the "industrial" opening and the vocal "samples" (whistles, etc.) they incorporated at the end. Very creative and fun.
My favorite performance of the night was Voices of Lee's "Man In The Mirror." The bass line/performance was really good; it added a lot to the song. Anyone who knows Michael Jackson's original knows how big the arrangement is and how he just gushed energy in his lead vocal. But I liked Voices of Lee's chilled-out take. They were faithful to the original without trying to make it an a cappella carbon copy. They took the song to an introspective and reflective place, which helped it stand on its own. I actually got chills on the final chord.
Episode # 2
Robin's review:
The competition on NBC's "The Sing-Off" heated up quite a bit tonight. We saw and heard dramatic improvement from all of the groups, undoubtedly making the judges' jobs much more difficult.
Since I only got to review three groups last time, I'll review the other three groups of the six who competed in Tuesday's show.
NOTA - This Puerto Rican sextet is so much fun to listen to. Their arrangement of "Down" by Jay Sean was peppered with some very tasty Latin flavor, and their treatment of the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" was right on point. I truly didn't miss the band at all. It was rockin'!
NOTEWORTHY - These "nine white girls from Provo, Utah" put a lot of heart and soul into their performances of Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" and Wilson Phillips' "Hold On." This group consists of, I'd say, about 8.5 sopranos, one alto, and two beatboxers who double as lead singers. Very unique configuration. They have a lot of energy and likability, but unfortunately they were eliminated tonight. I wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
VOICES OF LEE - These 10 men and women from Lee University were in great form tonight. The emotion they created in Alicia Keys' "No On"e could be felt through the TV, and they were right at home with the gospel feel of "Freedom 90" by George Michael. They were able to stick very closely to what they do best, and it really showed tonight!
Wes' review:
The second night of "The Sing-Off" was noteworthy (no pun intended). There was a little more focus on the music (rather than the choreography) on night two. That combined with the groups' greater comfort level made for a really good second episode.
I was disappointed to see Noteworthy go. Though they weren't a contender to win the whole thing, I thought they brought a good vibe to the competition (I see the irony in a bass singer "banging the drum" for a bass-less group!).
Three groups will advance to the finale, but I think the competition is really down to Nota and The Beelzebubs. The Bubs were good again Tuesday; the rehearsal highlights for "Right Round" provided a good peek behind the scenes and showed the challenges of arranging a cappella rap. I liked their fun, inspired choreography for "Come Sail Away," too.
If The Bubs' kitsch factor doesn't push them over the top at the end, Nota will win this. "Down" was a great song in the style that Acappella, AVB, Watershed, etc., have been known for. The Latin "instrumental" break and creative ending took the song to an even higher level. Nota brought it again with their Take 6-style arrangement of "Stayin' Alive." There was enough choreography and visual energy to make it interesting without hurting their vocals. They again added some extra flourishes to give them another strong ending.
Episode # 1
Robin's Review:
Kudos to NBC for bringing to light the not-so-well-known world of a cappella music. This show provides good exposure for a genre I have loved my entire life. It proves that it's not as easy as it sometimes sounds. It challenges the listeners' ears to break out of their comfort zones of pop music, or what we might hear on the radio, and makes us listen in a whole different way.
Since I didn't get to see the first three groups tonight, I cannot give a complete review. But I'll give my thoughts on a few of the groups I got to hear.
THE BEELZEBUBS - For us Christians, they have a very unfortunate name. However, for the entire audience, they had probably the most charisma, energy, and stage presence of the night. Their rendition of The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour was very difficult, very courageous, and despite the "pitchy" moments, very fun to watch!
MAXX FACTOR - Regardless of anyone's opinion of "barbershop" music, this group was definitely talented and they earned their spot on the show. Their harmonies were spot-on and, although the lead voice did get covered up occasionally, their version of Dancing Queen by ABBA was delivered with their own unique flair!
THE SOCALS - This group of USC alumni is the only mixed ensemble I got to see. They had a little trouble finding their pitch center, but their choreography and stage presence made up for that. Their arrangement of Queen's Somebody To Love showed their courage to do very difficult music with very difficult movement. Given their circumstances, I thought they did very well.
Wes' review:
My favorite part of "The Sing-Off" opener was Ben Folds' commentary and critiques. He was spot-on with his notes about the difficulty of staying tight musically when you're doing choreography/movement, and the need for a strong entertainment value to keep things at a high level when the harmonies get loose from time to time.
My favorite group from the first show was probably "Noteworthy." I liked that they "brought it" with high energy both vocally and visually. For a female group, their baritones did a nice job carrying the low end at the beginning, and the vocal percussionist kept the vibe going throughout. Some people might not have liked the Adam Lambert-esque "scream" section about two-thirds of the way through, but I liked that they didn't hold back ... and I sensed that they were true to who they were. Good job overall on a tough song and tough arrangement.
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