Dartmouth Aires - Ignition (Remix), Midnight Train to Georgia
They have such a great community feel to them, and with their five (or six?) leads that kept passing off the melody, it accomplished that goal of communal song. They've been really reliant on just one lead for the past couple weeks, so it was nice to prove that they're not a one-man show with this song. It was also just so much fun, these guys are the party starters and they made me smile from the first beat. Their old school song was a choral arrangement more than a fun Broadway thing like they usually do. They went back to their bread-and-butter lead, and it really seemed like a concert instead of a competition. These guys bring the crowd up on stage with them emotionally, and it's really a refreshing dynamic.
Urban Method - Knock You Down, It's Your Thing
This song definitely was right in their wheelhouse, but the fact remains that I'm not a fan of their female voices. It was one of their best performances on the show, and the tall dude with the mohawk is their X-factor. For this song they put him on bass....because that's where the dam is leaking the most. But he's good enough to be their lead, so big ups to him for being versatile. Their second song was mostly a pass-it-off song of drum solos between the guys while the ladies screeched in the background. I feel like anything the judges are saying positively about their performance is pure sugar-coating at this point. They deserved to go home this week, just like each of the past 3 weeks. I wonder if they sound much better live?
Vocal Point - Every Little Step, Ain't Too Proud To Beg
Such a departure from their usual sound - but they pulled it off so well! The breakdown in the middle quite possibly was the best 30 seconds of the show to date, between a sick beatboxer, great, guilty-pleasure-dance moves, and then some remix effects on the last chorus. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Their classic R&B choice was a Temptations song, and they busted out their deep voice to lead this one. It wasn't quite tight as it neared the end of the song, and I felt like there were a few pitch issues, but it's near-impossible to not like these guys! Seeing them leave was difficult because they have such star power, but they haven't been as consistent as some of the other groups, so their departure is defensible.
Afro-Blue - We Belong Together, Best of My Love
Taking on Mariah Carey, their groove was flawless throughout the song. Their bass is so fluid and just plain solid, and the guys provide such a great foundation for the female vocals to use as a springboard. The lead was so good, and didn't try to emulate Mariah, which is impossible - but rather, she just did what she could, and it worked. Their old school song was one that I've never heard before, but it seemed to be right in their kitchen. With their lead Danielle, they've got someone who is strong enough to lead their ensemble of girls, but with a vocal tone that sits so well within what the male voices bring. These guys probably won't win it all, but that will be America's fault, and definitely nothing that they've done wrong.
Pentatonix - OMG, Let's Get It On
Having their incredible lead take on Usher is a great comparison, and their arrangement was just. so. good. They have the beat/bass drop out at the right moments, and when they do, they can just go with their super-tight trio. Then, without skipping a beat, the two guys can join back in and bring in a huge momentum boost to the group. It was such a good vocal, and these guys are so far ahead from everybody else that it's not even funny. Then, they take a Marvin Gaye song (a personal favorite) and put just the right amount of their own spin on it...and absolutely murder it. Such a great performance, and there were no tricks to it - just great singing. Also, with Kevin's sticking up for his religious beliefs, I just fall more in love with these guys as a group each week.
Going into the Final Four, here are my power rankings:
1. Pentatonix
2. Dartmouth Aires
3. Afro-Blue
4. Urban Method
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