The Sing-Off Season 3, Episode 1

Welcome, friends, to season three of The Sing Off!

A dramatic montage reminds us of what’s at stake--$200,000 and a Sony music contract. We meet the judges—Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman, returning to the scene, plus Sara Bareilles. Like previous years, Nick Lachey tells us America will choose the ultimate winners.

We open on members of Kinfolk 9 (and man—check those solos!) singing the opening to Pink’s “Perfect.” Urban Method follows—their sound is a bit shakier. Delilah hits us with the “pretty, pretty please” action and boy are they selling every second of this. Vocal Point is as all smooth swagger working several collegiate a cappella choreo staples into their ten seconds of feature time. The Cat’s Pajamas are up next and Afro-Blue follows nicely from there. The Fannin Family only gets a second in the spotlight and sound a bit subdued relative to their counterparts. The Yellow Jackets get an enthusiastic, but similarly brief moment in the sun. Urban Method gets the rap breakdown and the whole cast is waving—nice visual. The Kinfolk 9 front man, sort of a poor man’s Freddie Mercury, gets to sing the line about people not liking his hair. One of the ladies of Delilah gets to hit the money notes on the finish.

“Perfect” is a pretty strange pick for the first song of the season premiere (you would expect something a little more upbeat and fun). Regardless, very good sound and a well-staged presentation for this massive group number. Plus, the song did provide opportunities for a few different groups to work their fortes, and particularly afforded opportunities to shine for the expanded female cast. In any event, the song was enough to whet my appetite... in time for commercials.

Western New York, REPRESENT! The Yellow Jackets have arrived. We catch them rehearsing Jay Sean’s “Do You Remember” and get a look at the eclectic make up of the group members, from college athletes to classically trained musicians. We get footage of them singing in Kenya as part of a musical exchange program.

The guys take on “Wavin’ Flag” by K’naan. They’re sort of milking this Kenya thing. Very nice perc. Nice bass sound. The first solo is good but sounds very collegiate to me. Next one is better, but still doesn’t sound as strong as you’d hope on The Sing-Off stage. The soloist who leads off the second verse nails it. The guy to follow sounds a little cookie-cutter clean, but he sells the moment well, and I buy him as the wide-eyed kid taking his shot on the big stage. Nice crescendo into the chorus and the guys are—oh man, they’re waving handkerchiefs as though they were flags. I usually hate that sort of thing and, while they synch up their wave well and get a nice high energy moment out of it, I still have to say I don’t love it.

Shawn harkens back to the fact that the guys having sung in Kenya, and talks about the memories of that making the song work, and the waves of energy really connecting for him. Ben also credits the group effort and the choral effect on the choruses. He does note the tempo wasn’t consistent. Sara cites the emotion the guys bring to the stage and lauds the brotherhood of the guys. She praises the ending, but talks about wanting a more intricate sound from the arrangement. She wraps up by channeling Nicole Scherzinger by complimenting the group’s “spirit.”

Here comes Wisconsin’s own Fannin Family. There are eleven in all—eight brothers and sisters appearing on this show. We see how well the crew knows one another. It’s pretty sick the way this family sings together. We learn that their main soloist is 14-year-old Maria.

The song of choice is “Who Says” by Selena Gomez. Very nice harmonies on a choral opening. The arrangement sounds quite simple, but nice range on the sound. For 14 years old, this solo is pretty remarkable. The group stands in an arc with Maria just one step ahead of the rest of them as they bob, touch-step, reach and raise their hands in unison. The movement is all a little stilted and not particularly innovative. They look a bit awkward when they get in motion. Call me a sucker for a sweet family story, but what is really cool about the group is the way in which they smile—there’s a real authenticity to how much you can tell they enjoy singing with one another for a unique effect.

Ben comments on how lucky the family is to have grown up together singing, and praises how natural they sound. He praises the blend, and ability to differentiate their similar tenors. He lauds the solo, but notes the bass part wasn’t quite in the group’s vocal range. Sara talks about Maria’s stage presence and ability to captivate the audience, in addition to the strength and power of what she sang. She does point out that there were some pitch issues. Shawn gives it up for the solo as well. He notes the presence of harmony quirks as well, but generally endorses this first outing for the group.

Bring it, Mid-Atlantic! Afro-Blue from Howard University shows off its jazz chops on the main quad, but notes that in addition to jazz, they do R&B and funk. They cite the tradition of Howard, and talk about singing in spots where MLK Jr. spoke. They talk about the show being a game changer for them.

The group sings Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Records On.” Smooth solo. Very jazzy sound. Nice bass. Interesting choice for some of the guys to sit on stools as if they were playing bass while the others stand. It’s a very small thing, but I dig the soloist playing with her hair on the chorus—it shows she’s actually paying attention to the lyrics and connecting to them. The movement is alternately stilted and really fun. The big moments aren’t quite as big as I would have hoped for on this one. Very clean cut off and nice harmonies for the close.

Ben says he loves the group’s sound, and particularly the presentation on the solo. He likes the way in which the group made jazzy sounds accessible. Sara says she was thoroughly entertained and enjoyed the group’s story. Shawn cites the groups class, style and effortless style of performance. He likens the soloist’s voice to warm butter on grits.

Next up, we travel to The OC to meet the ladies of Delilah, culled from all-female super groups who have rocked The Sing-Off stage and beyond in recent years. We see the girls coming together and—playing kickball? Really? OK. And sailing. It does address the elephant in the room, though, of a group that comes together just for the show—they are getting to know one another. They talk about the early exits from the show that members endured in the past, and how badly they want to win this year, and make the most of what is, for many, a second chance.

Here they come with “Grenade” by Bruno Mars. Check the facials from that soloist. Serious emotion. The choreography seems like a little much, but we only get a taste of it based on the camera angles, mostly glued to the solo. The girl in the booty shorts is a little distracting, if just for immodesty relative the rest of the group. I love the slow, soft build on this first verse. Nice build on the bridge. And… yes, there’s the money note I was waiting for! Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first moment of the season. They’re walking on the edge of getting a little screamy around this final bend, but props for showing some legit dynamic range. Sweet perc by the way. Gotta hand it to the ladies—this is the performance of the night so far by a country mile.

Sara digs the dynamics and the crazy chords with which they figuratively slapped her in the face. She says she loved it. Shawn gives props to the soloist. Ben talks about how they deliver the song. He praises the low-end sound, and the girls’ ability to drop out and let the solo thrive.

Elimination time. Delilah and Afro-Blue are, predictably, safe. Now for some network TV mandated drama. Nick recaps what the judges said. The Yellow Jackets survive to sing another day. I’m surprised—I thought they would keep the Fannins around for another episode for the family story—but I do agree with the decision. Uber-talented family, but they’re not quite a fit on this platform. The Fannin Family’s swan song is ”Tomorrow” from Annie—a fitting song, given the group identity.

Time for the second half. Urban Method leads us off. Straight out of—Denver? I feel like they’re playing a little more urban than one would typically think of from… Denver. The group points out the benefit of having a rapper. We get a beat I’m fairly certain isn’t actually a cappella in the background a segment of of this hype video, which is kind of odd.

Here they come with “Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem and Rihanna. Slick, smooth sound, complete with the wind sound effect on the opening—I dig it! Solid solo. Visuals are a little melodramatic. And here comes the rap. Were it not for all the hype about them having a rapper, this would probably be more effective just for the shock of the sound. Nonetheless, good sound from the frontman. Excellent perc. The visuals are kind of awkward with the rapper threatening different female members and them looking appropriately uncomfortable. I know that’s kind of the nature of the song, but it’s still sort of off-putting. Nice transition to the second rap verse. I love the idea of the rap-singing overlay, but the solo sounds like it’s slipped off key here. That, and these visuals are getting no less awkward. All in all, the sound was pretty stellar, the visuals need work. Should be fine for week one, though I worry that what novelty we have won’t sustain itself. We’ll see what else they bring to the table, though—I could very well be mistaken.

Shawn likens the group to his own roots in music. He praises the rap, the perc, and the backing track the group provided. Sara praises the rapper’s star quality and digs the theatrical quality of the soloist and rapper (we gotta agree to disagree there, Sara). Ben praises the novelty of this act, and the poignancy of the song. He cites the fact that the bass actually shook his ass.

Missouri’s Cat’s Pajamas are up next. We see their road from cruise ships to Branson. We see them work the crowd with style. They talk about their 50s/60s/70s style. Interesting mix of old school songs with a freshened-up sound, at least from this highlight video.

The guys cover Grand Funk Railroad’s “Some Kind of Wonderful.” Terrific sound and charisma on the solo. Cheesy movement from the guys but they look sure of themselves, which is vital in making those kinds of moves work. Nice swell of sound from the background, particularly on the low parts. The guys do a fine job of working the stage. It’s vital for groups that are few in members to make you forget that fact via the way they use the performance space. This is a lot of fun, and the solo gets some nice room to operate on the end, followed by an excellent chord from the group on the close. I liked this a lot, but it came a cross a bit predictable, and Isort of wish the song choice was a little more ambitious so they could really show what they had.

Ben praises the musical impact and technical sound, but dares the guys to take more risks with the art of the music. Shawn praises the lead and perc-bass multi-tasking. He praises the entertainment value of what they do, but questions how they’ll perform when it’s just their sound in recordings, without the visuals to support them. Sara calls them pitch perfect and compliments their energy. We get an awkward discussion of packages. Aw shucks, Sara. Sara, too, asks for more diversity in how they perform.

LA’s own Kinfolk 9 is next. They are presented as a group of artists and friends who came together for the journey. They sing “Hallellujah” around the dinner table. I am permanently a sucker for this song, no matter who is singing it. They sell a bit of a family story, the lead singer from earlier on singing for his family.

Here they come with One Republic’s “Secrets.” The soloist owns the stage on the opening with very soft backing and just a touch cymbal percussion. I love the vocal quality of the soloist, but the group doesn’t quite seem to have its blend together here. The duel-solo harmony isn’t jiving for me. Nice back and forth between the two for a moment, though. Good perc and bass. Nice choral moment. Good decision to make a call back to the intro on the close by letting the soloist operate more or less on his own. There’s something strange going on with this song. I like the emotion, I dig the soloist’s vibe but—I have to say this didn’t quite click for me all around. It was like hearing a group you know is really good just happen to perform on an off-night.

Sara praises the frontman and the way in which the group is chasing dreams. She lauds the bass, though mentions it was almost overpowering. Ben praises the solo and comments, too, on the bass not really being together. Shawn, too, observes the harmony quirks and that members overshot and clashed at points. He dug the solo, too.

Brigham Young University Vocal Point takes us home for the evening. There are certain groups that friends will judge me for, because I’m a bit of a fanboy. I won’t deny it--I heart Vocal Point. We hear them singing a bit of “Footloose,” and see them alternately walking and singing all over campus. Oh man, now we hear that one of the group members needed to fly home to be with his ailing father. All the best to the family.

Vocal Point sings Brian Setzer Orchestra’s “Jump, Jive an’ Wail.” Heard this one at the ICCA Finals last year, and I love it. Let’s see how it translates to the screen. Great charisma on the solo. Slick movement all around from the guys. Even on this relatively simple song, the sound is so much more complex here than what other groups put out. Such a cool, quick sound. Nice little perc breakdown and, man, can this soloist work a stage. Classic Jack and Jill hill climbing choreography, a bit more subdued than they did live in New York ,but still a lot of fun. These guys have that unique ability to go balls to the walls on choreography but still make it look effortless. I sort of wish they had picked one of their more complicated songs to really show off their musical chops, but this is a very good choice for drawing in a mainstream audience and putting the group’s energy and charisma on display.

Ben lauds many individual pieces of the song, from the groove, to the perc, to the bass lines, to the high parts, to the modulation. Shawn calls the performance fun and sings the praises of the soloist. Sara talks about the group’s personality and ability to tell a story.

Eliminations, part 2. Vocal Point and Urban Method are safe. Kinfolk 9—stays alive? I would have sent them home, but Cat’s Pajamas were my next to last pick, so no tears shed over here. It would have been interesting to have heard if they were capable of more. They sing a fine version of The Everly Brothers’ ”Bye, Bye Love” for their swan song. I have to wonder if a part of why they were eliminated was not so much for these individual performances, but because of the potential the groups have shown beyond this episode’s outings. Though I think Cat’s Pajamas outsang Kinfolk 9 tonight, I wouldn’t argue with the point that Kinfolk seems to have a bit more ambition and dare I say potential.

OK, six out of the first eight groups remain. The other eight get the chance to show their stuff next week, highlighted by Sonos, North Shore and The Collective.

You don’t need to wait a week for extended coverage of the The Sing-Off. Be sure to check back at The ACB for continued coverage throughout the week!