One more week of the Battle Rounds, one more week of the Battle Rounds, one more week

If youre like me, you must keep repeating this mantra in order to make it to the competition that comes next.

Ill admit, this Mondays episode had far more pizzazz then the stinker of the week before. The winning singers were more talented; there were some genuine battles and another touching ending. But the Battle Rounds are suffering from an identity crisis. I harped on the issues last week, so I wont bore you with it again. I can bear one more week of it, but the production aspects needs some serious fixing in Season 3.

Team Adam: Nathan Parrett v. Pip, You Know I’m No Good

I love the fact that you guys sang old songs [in your auditions] that were so classic and so tough to do, says Adam Levine. So this is, uh, the battle of guys who fail to sing age appropriate songs. Got it.

After last week, I find it a wonderful thing to start the show off with someone I remember. And Pip, with his one name, was one of the few contestants to get all four judges to turn their chairs around. As for Nathan, well weve never met him. He got the also joined the team quick rundown treatment. Considering host Carson Daly quickly lets us know that Nathan is a former champion swimmer whos father stopped speaking to him after he revealed hes gay, Im highly confused as to how his back-story didnt make the cut.

Anyway, hes got a very rich voice with an intriguing tone though they keep focusing on his nervousness. I wasnt sure about you Nathan, but now Im sure of you, says Adam. Youre so good. Theyre setting this up to be a big battle despite the fact were just meeting one of the battle members for the first time.

Pip gets the Amy Winehouse song started and does, well, what Pip can do. Hes got the most unique male vocals of any contestant in the competition and thats what the judges keep asking for. Nathans got a very good voice, too. Its, for a change, a very nice sounding back and forth battle with meshing harmonies. It is certainly one of the more entertaining ones of the battle rounds, though I cant see how four-chair Pip will lose.

Blake Shelton tells us Pip is a guy who can do everything. Christina Aguileras cleavage was impressed with Pips confidence. Cee Lo Green says Nathan stole it, due to the unofficial rule that disagreeing judges makes better television.

Adam tells Nathan he is a refreshing, amazing surprise. But lets be honest, thats not enough for someone deemed not good enough to get audition round facetime. Its Pip. Duh.

Team Creepy: Erin Martin v. The Shields Brothers, Whats Love Got to Do with It

Chances are you remember both these contestants. And if you do, you are quite perplexed. Erin is the former model with another crazy unique voice that Cee Lo couldnt stop hitting on. The Shields Brothers were the quirky rock n roll group that I was highly critical of. There is no real sense of why these two are being put together outside of giving Erins softer voice an easy road to make it through to the next round.

Its not like were scared of her, but were scared of her, says the Sheilds Brothers. Theyre toast.

For once, the practice and guest coaching footage offers some additional insight. Erin comes of as a complete diva, arguing about what she gets to sing and how to sing it. Guest coach Babyface directs the rocking brothers to tone back their shtick and find some vulnerability.

It works. The brothers are clearly holding back the rock in the song and it gains them some sense of credibility. Erin comes of a bit nervous. Her voice is very soft, but theres no denying its special. At times, The Sheilds Brothers are loud enough to drown her out. Both contestants have completely different styles and the whole thing like the pairing just comes across as weird.

That was so weird, says Adam. Dude, stop stealing my line! Blake, on the other hand, tells former model Erin, Im so glad you wore that. Im married now and girls wearing outfits like that is all I have left. The more I analyze this show, the more I realize there is a very subtle creepiness to Blake. At least Cee Lo is up front about it.

Speaking of Cee Lo, its his choice. It was wonderfully strange, bizarre, peculiar, genius and a lot of those other colorful things, he says. He is also worried that the brothers are nothing more then shtick despite their performance. Because of this, he feels like he has the most prospect (excellent grammar) with Erin.

Team Cleavage: Ashley De La Rosa v. Jonathas, No Air

Who is Ashley, you ask? Why its another singer who got the also added treatment. Jonathas was the smooth sounding R&B vocalist who they remind us a dozen times sounds kind of like Usher.

Christina tells us this is a battle of youthful energy, but really, Im expecting a cakewalk for Jonathas. I am more experienced. Ive been on stages before and I do perform back at home, he tells us. So I want to say I have a little step ahead of her. See, even he agrees.

Ashley comes off as a poor-mans Jordin Sparks. Shes slightly off key and pitchy in parts. To be fair, Jonathas was not at the top of his game either. Im just substantially more unimpressed by her. Overall, neither did very well. The chemistry seemed forced and it was one of the worst battles weve been subjected to so far.

Cee Lo says he would have picked Ashley. Adam says theres a bigness to her voice that overpowered Jonathas. Blake, too, would pick Ashley. So obviously Christina will pick

Ashley. Uh, what? Her boobs tell us that Ashley has young chops she feels she can coach up. Based on the overall performance, Im not in complete shock Ashley won. But it doesnt make a lot of sense to ignore her in the audition round if she was going to move on past the battles.

Team Blake: ALyX v. Jermaine Paul, “Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car”

Stop me if youve heard this one before: we didnt meet ALyX in the audition rounds. This seems to be the theme of the episode cram everyone we dont know into one two hour sitting. If you dont remember Jermaine, hes the backup singer for Alicia Keys.

You guys seem to take yourselves very seriously, Blake tells them. I want to see how much fun you two can have when you get out there on stage. So this is the force serious singers to have fun battle. Got it.

ALyX and her annoyingly spelled name is portrayed as this battles Nervous Nancy. Guest coach Miranda Lambert suggests she doesnt know how to let go with her voice yet.

Its guest coach, Kelly Clarkson, however, who gives us the nights real gem. I keep telling my manager Im gunna try to audition for this show, because its so exciting, she tells Jermaine. I wish they would have done that on the show Im from, because its kind of cool to have your competition up there with you. Ouch. Would you like some ointment for that burn American Idol?

Anyway, Jermaine comes of far more polished, but they are both very talented singers. Despite this, the whole performance seems campy. Simon Cowell would call it something hed see on a cruise ship. Jermaine oversells his emotions and facial expressions. Hes clearly better, but I cant see either contestant winning this contest over the unique vocalists teams are stockpiling.

While Blake thinks Alex didnt get enough credit from the judges in their reviews, hes siding with Jermaine, too. He says the contestant was fierce and having fun at the same time. Whatever.

Team Adam: Angel Taylor v. Katrina Parker, Bleeding Love

Katrina was the insurance worker Carson surprised who got sick off mold and couldnt sing for a few years for some unexplained reason. Angel turned around three chairs with a terrific rendition of Adeles Someone Like You.

Adam chose this battle because there was a vulnerability in the way you guys sing. Vulnerability battle, go!

Katrina gets the first verse and she absolutely nails it. Shes completely believable. Angels voice is just a bit breathy. I dont think this was the right song for her. Or maybe she just didnt make it her own. Im not sure the difference anymore.

Blake says Angel has a cool, unique break in her voice, but Katrina was flat better. Christinas boobs think the song didnt fit Angels voice at all. She goes as far as comparing Katrina to Adele, though this is a terrible comparison.

Adam suggests it isnt so clear-cut. Angels uniqueness is equally potent to Katrinas talent or something like that. I have no idea what that means, but he picks Katrina. She might not be the better singer overall, but she clearly won this battle.

Team Blake: Gwen Sebastian v. Erin Willett, We Belong

Oh I remember Gwen all right. She is the 37-year-old country singer who has decided to forgo marriage and a family with her drummer/boyfriend in order to continue to pursue her fading dream. I hate her. But to be fair, those types of people probably shouldnt have children anyway.

Blake tells us them, whichever one of you finds the way to tap into you rtender side and really dig deep will be the winner. Digging deep, battle, got it.

Gwen is thrilled to be meeting country star Miranda Lambert. In her cutaway she tells us, Im just a girl from North Dakota! What am I doing here?! Well, uh, you decided you werent ever going to get married or raise a family so you could be a star someday remember?

As if I needed more reason to root for Erin, she gets a call before her battle that her fathers stage four pancreatic cancer has taken a turn for the worse. The nurses have given him 24-hours. Erin says she wants to do this competition for him. Her father told her to stay no matter what.

As the song begins, Im really pulling for Erin. Id hate for her to have that moment on national television, only to get booted. Plus, did I mention I loathe Gwen?

Unfortunately Gwen is good. Rather good, in fact. Only Erin is right there with her. Shes got a huge voice, but is clearly showing some restraint. I keep waiting for her to blow the lid off the song, but she never does.

Blake says he felt Gwen took some chances with her vocals and he appreciates it. He also appreciates Erins voice, but agreed she played it safe. But I cant help but sit here and think gosh, what else can she do? And the winner isErin!

I wanted to make my father proud and I think I did just that, she tells the cameras. I was like this is for you and it really was.

The show fades out with audition round footage of Erin and her dad as they flash In Memory of Chuck Willett on the screen. Its an extremely classy moment. Well done, The Voice.

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