‘The Voice’ recap: Coaches offer tips, makeovers in final Knockouts

The last of the Knockout Rounds finally played themselves out on “The Voice” on Monday night, as the final members of Teams Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams were paired off to compete for a spot in the live playoff round.

By now we’re all familiar with the drill: Each contestant selects a song he or she hopes will give him an edge, receives helpful advice from their coach and guest mentor Taylor Swift, and takes the stage in hopes of earning their own coaches’ favor or, failing that, to woo another coach into using a steal to make a save.

At the outset of Monday night’s show, though, Shelton was the only coach left with a steal to use -- and he was being super-coy about using it. When he would use it may have been the episode’s sole (mild) cliffhanger, since the winners of nearly every match seemed almost predetermined.

Allison Bray vs. Taylor Brashears (Team Blake): Shelton paired up these two “throwback, vintage-country-singing girls” to find out which of them would be a stronger contender in the live shows. Bray pulled on her boots (Swift made her ditch her high heels), strutted around the stage and belted out a brassy “Sin Wagon.” Brashears aimed to show some “soft, smoky” vocal nuance with Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” Brashears emerged as the more interesting performer, though the coaches did not all agree on that. Stefani complimented Brashears’ control and restraint and the “curly-whirly … twisty turns” she did with her vocals, which she called “really tasteful,” but Levine said he leaned toward Bray. Shelton, however, heard some sharp notes in Bray’s performance. “Based on where you two are at now,” he said, “the winner of this Knockout is Taylor.”

Beth Spangler vs. Ryan Sill (Team Gwen): Given that Sill was an original member of Stefani’s team and Spangler a steal from Team Adam, the odds seemed tipped in Sill’s favor at the outset. His cute, confident take on “Miss Independent” seemed to best Spangler’s oversung, underwhelming “Too Little, Too Late,” which proved to be all too apt a title. Shelton and Williams both called it a “dead tie,” but perhaps they were just being generous. Levine, Spangler’s former coach, said the upper notes had gotten a bit “squirrelly” for her and declared Sill, whose “ease,” rhythmic attack and “beautiful tone” he admired, to have been the winner. Stefani, who said Spangler’s tone could get a little “abrasive,” agreed. She picked Sill to advance, calling his voice and attitude “so good.”

Jean Kelley and Menlik Zergabachew (Team Pharrell): In a “battle of second chances,” Williams pitted his two steals, both originally on Team Gwen, against each other. Kelley emoted big time with “Chandelier,” a performance Swift predicted would be “a game changer.” Reggae singer Zergabachew made a predictable song choice, Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved,” and used it to show off his easy stage style (Shelton said his broad arm swings made him look like a big grandfather clock) and appealing tone. Unfortunately, however, his connection to the audience was hindered by his tendency to close his eyes when he sang. Williams seemed unsure of which singer to choose, saying he felt pulled in “two different directions” and was the “most confused” he’d been on the show. Ultimately, he picked Kelley, and later seemed far more resolute. “She’s got the fire, and he doesn’t,” he explained to his fellow coaches, who responded that Zergabachew had nevertheless made great strides with his “stage presence.”

Chris Jamison vs. Blessing Offor (Team Adam): Going up against a talented young charmer, Offor, though himself not entirely short on charm, definitely had the deck stacked against him. “That’s a good person to have on your team,” Swift said of Jamison, who looked like a potential winner when he sang his soulful “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” Offor’s smooth take on “Your Body Is a Wonderland” was impressive, but no match for Jamison. Shelton and Stefani declined to pick sides, but Williams handed the round to Jamison. So did Levine, who said the young singer was working hard and “improving exponentially” and on a “really good trajectory.”

After a fast-forward round in which Matt McAndrew beat out Rebekah Samarin for the last spot on Team Adam, we moved on to the evening’s final two rounds.

Grant Ganzer and Reagan James (Team Blake): Following a debate with Swift about the pronunciation of “memento,” Shelton teamed up the two youngest members of his team, 16-year-old Ganzer and 15-year-old James, in hopes of discovering which would hold up better under the pressure of the live shows. James, with her preternatural maturity and confidence, seemed poised for a win over Ganzer, whose voice and persona seemed to be in a more transitional phase. His “Apologize” seemed like a work in progress; her “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops)” arrived complete and was completely arresting. The coaches kindly avoided calling too much attention to the disparity between the two. Shelton made the obvious call -- James -- and later said he thought she was “one of the most important artists” he’d had the opportunity to work with on “The Voice.”

Anita Antoinette vs. Craig Wayne Boyd (Team Gwen): Swift said Antoinette, a four-chair turn with Team Gwen from the start, had a youthful effervescence that reminded her of Stefani’s. But she and Stefani both seemed to see Boyd -- a longhaired, fringe-favoring country singer originally from Team Blake -- as a fashion fixer-upper. Swift made the singer ditch his distracting jacket and Stefani got him to agree to a makeover, telling him she wanted to help him look like someone she’d want “to make out with.” After a haircut and a beard trim, a better-looking Boyd swaggered through “Can’t You See,” by the Marshall Tucker Band. Antoinette brought her groovy reggae vibe to the recent hit “Rude.” Boyd’s former coach, Shelton, told him he felt as if he had broken up with a girl, only to have her come “back to the bar” the next weekend looking “hotter than ever -- and you’re sitting there in a corner .… You’ve never looked so hot.” Stefani picked Antoinette to advance, saying she “knew she was going to kill it.” But all wasn’t lost for Boyd. Shelton used his steal, declaring, “I got my girl back.” Boyd was thrilled, noting that being rescued by a steal once was “amazing,” and that being stolen twice had seemed “impossible.” “The impossible,” he marveled, “just happened.”

We’ll see what other impossibilities are made possible in the live shows. Phew! We made it.