'The Voice' Premiere Recap: Yodel Ay Hee Hoo

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Yep, looks about right. (NBC)

This is THE VOICE!

It's been four long months since we last took a turn around the spinny chairs with Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green, and whatever animal he's decided to adopt this season (a pink cockatoo named Lady, naturally). The third season premiere mostly followed the "if it's not broke, don't fix it" mantra and stuck with the formula that has kept The Voice near the top of the ratings for two straight seasons.

The episode opened with the four judges singing "Start Me Up." As per usual, they sounded bizarre yet mostly pleasurable together. Adam and Blake jammed while Christina wore a blinged out bustier and Cee Lo donned a version of the Puffy Shirt from Seinfeld. So yeah, everything's pretty much exactly as it's always been.

But enough about the judges and their wacky wardrobes. Let's find out who who advanced to the next round after Monday night's batch of blind auditions!

Scottish rocker Terry McDermott and his family got things started with a version of "Baba O'Reilly" that had three of the four judges turning around. McDermott, who used to be in a band called Drive Shaft Drive Blind, ended up picking Blake as his coach.

Next up was De'Borah, who used to sing in church before she changed up her look a! nd wasn't welcome anymore. Dressed in a fly pink and turquoise ensemble, De'Borah showed off her swagger with a version of "Hey Soul Sister" that made Christina and Cee Lo turn around. De'Borah followed the voice within her and picked Xtina. It's early in the season, but De'Borah might just be one to watch.

Country singer/yodeler Gracia Harrison is the first contestant to finally get the judges to start fighting with her pitch perfect version "I Wanna Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart." Adam sang her praises, saying "By far, you are the best country singer we have ever heard on this show...by far." In the end, though, Gracia stuck with her country roots and picked Blake as her coach.

Next came 20-year-old Devyn Deloera, who wove a sob story about being shy and into the arts as a child. Honey, welcome to my life. She strutted around the stage and performed a serviceable version of Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man." It was a risky choice, but it paid off when Blake, Adam, and Christina herself turned around. Divas always stick together, so Devyn picked Aguilera.

Bryan Keith was feeling the pressure before his audition. After all, his dad is Ray de la Paz, the lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning Latin band The Spanish Harlem Orchestra. But Bryan had nothing to worry about. He hit the stage and belted out a standout version of "It Will Rain" that made every judge turn their chair around. With his pick of the litter, Bryan eventually chose Adam.

If at first you don't succeed, try again. That's what Daniel Rosa, who auditioned last season but got no love from the judges, must have been telling himself when he took the stage to give it another try. Luckily, his take on Gotye's earworm "Somebody That I Used to Know" was good enough to get Blake and Cee Lo to hit the button. Daniel chose Cee Lo, who seemed genuinely thrilled to have the singer on his team.

Next up was Texan Joe Kirklan, who was f! orced to ! step up and provide vocals for his band, Artists vs. Poets, when the lead singer unexpectedly quit. Terrible band names aside, Kirklan sounded just all right to be on "Gives You Hell," but his version was good enough to make Blake and Adam turn their chairs around. Blake tried to bond with Joe over their shared love of vests, but in the end the singer chose Adam.

The episode closed with Trevin Hunte, an 18-year-old whose 8th grade teacher told him that he would never amount to anything (who tells kids things like that?). Hunte blew the judges away with his soulful version of "Listen" from Dreamgirls. Christina, Cee Lo, and Adam also fought for his, but in the end Trevin became a card carrying member of Team Cee Lo. Take that mean old 8th grade teacher.

What did you think of the season premiere of The Voice? Who's your favorite singer so far? Do you like Lady or do you miss Purrrfect's snooty charm? And do you think Christina will ever wear full pants this season? Hit the comments below with your take.

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