‘The Voice’ recap: Coaches try Jedi moves, bribery on blinds, night 2

Sometimes “The Voice” can surprise you, but here’s one thing you can pretty much count on: If a contestant is shown ahead of a blind audition declaring that he or she is aiming to impress a specific coach, that contestant will end up, when it comes down to it, picking a different coach. Everyone will express shock about the switch, including the contestant, who will cite his or her “gut” -- but not you. You saw it coming a mile away. Feel free to feel smug.

The exception that proves the rule? Country singers aiming for Blake Shelton will almost invariably choose Blake Shelton.

On Tuesday night’s show, Pharrell Williams noted the country coach’s ability to lure in anyone with the tiniest hint of twang by bonding over hometowns in Texas, Tennessee or a ton of other states.

“I know I’m new to the show, but do you really get to use this credit card like this every time … this ‘Nashville, I know you …’?” the new coach asked. “I call this ‘Voice Jedi’; ‘Look into my eyes. Nashville, Tennessee …’”

No doubt about it, Williams has proven a quick study on the ways of “The Voice” – not only noting the veteran coaches’ tools and tricks, but in some cases figuring out a way to use them against them. And, speaking of No Doubt, his fellow new coach, Gwen Stefani, hasn’t done too shabbily either, in terms of landing solid talent.

In fact, Shelton lent his “Voice” voodoo to Williams to help him capture the first contestant to take the stage during Tuesday evening’s blind auditions. Danica Shirey, a 25-year-old singer and mother from York, Penn., turned three chairs – Adam Levine, Stefani and Williams – with her full-throated version of “Big White Room.”

Levine, who had been the first to turn, called Shirey’s voice one of the best he’d heard in a long time. Stefani said her vibrato gave her “chills.” But Pharrell charmingly told the singer her technique reminded him of a “snake charmer,” saying he’d been “allured.”

Williams made a clear request -- “I’m just asking you to be on my team. Will you please be on my team?” – and then undercut Levine. “He’s all fit and I’m so scrawny,” Williams said. “I know what to do with that voice.”

With Shelton chanting “Pharrell, Pharrell …” and suggesting Shirey make the “Happy” singer “happy” by picking him, Williams reeled her in. The singer later said she was a “huge fan of Pharrell.”

Williams didn’t need any help to emerge victorious in a four-way contest for another Texas singer, though. Twenty-five-year-old Taylor Phelan, who had quit his indie rock band and gone into graphic design after his daughter was born in 2013, impressed all the coaches with his fully committed take on “Sweater Weather.” Levine liked his “awesome happy feet.” Stefani said she felt like she was at a festival. Shelton called Phelan’s performance “completely locked in” and compared him to OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder. But Williams got to the alterna-rocker by calling him “melodically articulate” and telling him, apparently convincingly, that he belonged on his team.

He also scored a big win with Maiya Sykes, a 36-year-old Yale alum from Los Angeles, whose mother was a backup singer for Earth, Wind & Fire, Meat Loaf, and Neil Diamond and whose father is also a musician.

Sykes’ “Stay With Me” spun all four chairs superfast and set the coaches to sparring. Shelton said she could win. Stefani tried to ply her with free clothes and handbags. “I have access to goods,” she said. Levine promised to push Sykes and help her grow. But Pharrell rose to his feet and praised her “conviction,” telling her he wanted to help her tell her own story.

“I’d be honored to work with any of you,” Sykes said. “However, Pharrell stood up for me, so I choose Pharrell.”

Adam fared better with Joe Kirk, a 17-year-old high school student with a musical family from Nashville. Kirk spun all four coaches with his take on “Lego House,” but Levine lured him in by telling him he felt like he was his “little brother.” The Maroon 5 frontman’s begging probably didn’t hurt, either.

Stefani landed reggae singer Menlik Zergabachew, a dreadlock-sporting dude whose hard-working parents came to the U.S. from Ethiopia. Zergabachew’s take on “Santeria” also prompted Shelton to push his button. After eliciting promises from both his suitors that he’d be allowed to sing reggae, Zergabachew picked Stefani, whose own music has incorporated reggae -- though it wasn’t clear if Zergabachew was aware of that.

The No Doubt singer also beat out Shelton for Sugar Joans, a 24-year-old Los Angeles native, whose father sang backup for Alice Cooper, Janet Jackson, Patti LaBelle and Sergio Mendes. Both Shelton and Stefani waited until the very last minute to spin for Joans’ slinky “Chain of Fools,” but nevertheless expressed enthusiasm for the singer’s voice, which Stefani labeled “perfect” and Shelton called one of his favorites he had “ever heard ever.” Stefani said she’d help Joans find her personality and make her a star. “That just really spoke to me,” Joans later said, explaining why she chose Stefani.

Don’t weep for Shelton, though. He beat Stefani out for Reagan James, a preternaturally poised 15-year-old from Burleson, Texas, Kelly Clarkson’s hometown, who sang a haunting rendition of “Give Me Love.” Stefani praised James’ “God-given gift,” but Shelton reminded her that he’d gotten young singers into the “winner’s circle” before and told her she had a “floaty thing” going on vocally that was unlike anything heard previously on the show. And since Williams hadn’t pushed his button for the aspiring R&B singer, the country coach got the girl. Still, Williams vowed to steal her away, if he ever got the chance.

Shelton beat out everyone but Stefani for 21-year-old Nashville food truck cashier and “retro country” artist Taylor Brashears, but only because Stefani was the only one who didn’t push her button for the singer’s rendition of Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough (to Take My Man).” (Stefani said she felt sheepish about not having gotten into the mix.) Shelton waited until Brashear’s very last note, but got the girl anyway. He explained that he’d taken his time because the song and its original singer were so iconic and he wanted to take it all in. “Once I heard it all,” though, he said, “you’re damn right I’m going to hit my button.” Later, Shelton said he was excited to have the “vintage-sounding throwback artist” on his team.