‘The Voice’ recap: The Top 12 take the stage

“The Voice” brought us a few standout Top 12 performances Monday night – as well as some merely solid ones and few (if any) stumbles. From this point on, we were reminded at the outset, there will be neither coach saves nor coach steals. The contestants’ fates will be in our hands alone. Feel the power!

The only task left to coaches Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton, then, was to guide their singers as best they could, helping them with song choice and delivery, and to hope for the best. They could also tip the audience off to their own favorites – standing to applaud in some cases and not in others, offering gushy feedback or more diffuse pleasantries instead.

This season, as in those most recently, the coaches’ personal preferences have been obscured by a veil of niceness. Williams has occasionally flat-out encouraged audience members to vote for a singer on another coach’s team. The Gwen Stefani/Pharrell Williams kindness initiative remains, even in Stefani’s absence.

However, when it comes to the competition’s clear frontrunner, Alisan Porter of Team Christina, who knocked it out of the park again this week with Demi Lovato’s “Stone Cold,” Levine and Shelton offered their praise almost grudgingly.

“Aren’t you bored being so great” all the time? Shelton asked Porter, griping that she was “too good.”

Come on, Blake. You’ve won how many times? Throw Aguilera a bone here!

Here’s how the performances went down:

Mary Sarah (Team Blake): The young classic country singer sought to show she could tackle something modern (and country) with Carrie Underwood’s “So Small.” Aguilera called it a “solid” performance. Levine said it was a job “well done.” Shelton underscored to country fans that his team member was able to “walk that fine line” between “traditional” and “contemporary” country music and “deliver the message” of a song.

Laith Al-Saadi (Team Adam): The hirsute veteran musician displayed his considerable blues chops with Albert King’s “Born Under a Bad Sign,” sounding more comfortable than he has in weeks, and maybe ever. Shelton said that although he “didn’t know that much about the blues,” he had the sense that Al-Saadi’s performance had “to be as good as it gets.” Williams called Al-Saadi “the real thing,” with “real spirit” and a “real rock and roll soul,” and begged the audience to vote him through. Levine boasted that Al-Saadi was “different” and “authentic” and unlike anything the show had ever seen, declaring himself to be “beyond proud.”

Daniel Passino (Team Pharrell): Passino, whom the audience opted to keep around after the coaches had sent him home and brought back as a “comeback artist,” tried to justify the voters’ confidence with his take on Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature.” His performance style was strong; his vocals somewhat less so. Levine and Aguilera both marveled at Passino’s newfound confidence. Williams said he’d killed it.

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Emily Keener (Team Pharrell): Williams deeply believes in this soulful 17-year-old folk singer, who proved she was worthy of everyone’s belief with her nuanced, lilting take on Jeff Buckley’s “Lilac Wine.” Her delicately calibrated performance was intoxicating, bringing all four coaches to their feet. Levine called it a “perfect” and “stunning” rendition of a song he loved. Aguilera said Keener had tapped into the “magic,” displaying many emotions – from “tender” to “boisterous,” “intense” and “aggressive.” Williams called the performance “beautiful,” “breathtaking” and “unbelievable.”

Nick Hagelin (Team Christina): Aguilera’s comeback artist put his own spin on a Blake Shelton song, “Mine Would Be You,” dedicating it to his pretty wife. Williams said he had given Shelton’s tune a “whole different life” and that he could see Hagelin “on the charts with that song.” Shelton said he’d been a little unnerved at first by the choice, but now thought audiences would find his own version lacking by comparison, which was sweet of him, really. Aguilera said Hagelin was a “pleasure to work with,” calling him “humble” and “likable,” and adding that, he had a “charisma” that was not something that could be taught.

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Adam Wakefield (Team Blake): Wakefield dedicated the Allman Brothers Band’s “Soulshine” to his late brother, showing off his Southern rock roots, his gospel flair and his impressive ability to play the organ – in addition to his big, meaty voice. When he had finished “taking people to church,” as Williams later put it, all three male coaches stood to applaud. Williams added that Wakefield had “set the groundwork” for his career and come in with “precision” and “vocal intention,” delivering a message people needed to hear. Levine called him “so far beyond the real deal” and said he felt as if Wakefield had “12 records and that was a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performance.” Shelton predicted that he’d “be around for a long, long time,” even beyond the framework of the show, and called Wakefield “a star.”

Bryan Bautista (Team Christina): Beloved by his coach, Bautista set out to move the audience with Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose.” Williams predicted Bautista would get a record deal, when all was said and done, and told him he sounded as if he were “singing the girls to sleep” with a “lullaby.” Aguilera said Bautista defined stardom and encouraged “every girl” to buy the song and “be lulled to sleep by Bryan.”

Owen Danoff (Team Adam): This sweet singer says he’s shy, but he definitely came out of his shell with his emotionally intense performance of Lukas Graham’s “7 years.” Williams complimented Danoff’s “tender tone” and ability to tell a story, calling it the “right path” for him. Levine said Danoff had come “alive” and declared himself to be “so happy.”

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Alisan Porter (Team Christina): Aguilera called Porter “one of those incredible, out-of-this-world vocalists,” gave her a few tips to make her performances even more “soulful,” and then sat back and thoroughly enjoyed her front-running team member’s terrific take on Demi Lovato’s “Stone Cold,” which got a four-coach standing ovation. Levine told Porter that “every year there’s always one person that kind of epitomizes all the things this show is about” and that she blew him away every time she sang, adding that he wished she were on his team. Shelton told Porter she was “too good.” Aguilera said she couldn’t wait for “the Alisan album” because she wanted to listen to her voice “all the time,” calling her performances “the highlight” of every show and assuring her that everyone was behind her.

Paxton Ingram (Team Blake): Shelton hoped Ingram would “escalate” the “crush” he had on him “to even the next level” by bringing his “intensity” to Selena Gomez’s “Hands to Myself.” Crush or no crush, Ingram did his coach proud. Williams told him he had lifted the audience and advised him to “sing something inspirational” next time. Shelton agreed that that would be a good plan, and said he believed Ingram would be around to carry it out, calling him “awesome.”

Hannah Huston (Team Pharrell): This Nebraska preschool teacher showed off her considerable charm in the way she grabbed hold of Etta James’ “Something’s Got a Hold on Me,” stomping around the stage like a woman in charge. Levine said she’d invented a “new genre of music,” which he dubbed “alien soul,” saying it was “not of this Earth,” and was “weird,” “cool,” “messed up” and “perfect.” Shelton told Huston it was “hard not to get wrapped up in your performances” and declared himself to be “a fan.” Williams said Huston had inspired people from Nebraska to dream.

Shalyah Fearing (Team Adam): Only 16 years old, Fearing continued to prove she had a voice and drive far beyond her years, reaching new heights with “Up to the Mountain.” She has worked with three singers in the competition, and they all gushed about her performance. Aguilera called her a “fearless singer” who was not afraid to go to the “edge of the cliff” and then “jump off,” adding that people could feel her “heart” and her “passion” when she sang. Williams admired her instincts, ability to improvise, and ability to lift and inspire. Levine said Shearing was becoming a woman before our very eyes.