Rating:
Genre:
Vocal Music
Release Date: 11/07/2006
Longtime fans of
Josh Groban should be pleased to know that the vocalist's third studio album,
Awake, features more of the polished, well-crafted, and emotionally grand
classical crossover
pop he has become known for. In fact, the album is perhaps his most appealing and deviates little from his previous outings. Here listeners get a mix of original songs -- some co-written by
Groban -- that trade between more
classical/
opera-oriented songs sung in Italian and more
pop-oriented songs in English. Interestingly, the tracks co-penned by
Groban are some of the most compelling, and showcase his knack for a kind of '60s
Scott Walker baroque pop meets '80s
Diane Warren adult contemporary vibe. This brings up the only problem with
Awake, which is that as
Groban's music has moved closer and closer to
pop, the necessity of utilizing Italian becomes increasingly nebulous. Truthfully, barring any awkward translations, most of these songs would sound fine sung in English and generally come off as very good
Italian pop songs. So, despite being quite listenable, from a mainstream
pop point of view the use of Italian is great for lending the album a sheen of pan-European
classical regality, but in some ways limits the emotional impact of the songs to only those who understand Italian. None of this really matters, though, to fans of
Groban, who justifiably respond to his superb technique, silky tone, and bedroom eyes. It doesn't hurt either that he's brought along some unexpected guests this time around in the African
vocal group
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, appearing here on two tracks, as well as legendary
jazz pianist
Herbie Hancock, who shows up on the angular and half-funky
"Machine." It's also great to hear
Groban dig into an adaptation of
"Un Giorno Per Noi," Nino Rota's theme to
Franco Zeffirelli's classic 1968 film
Romeo and Juliet. The song, as
Awake itself, is a grand collision of pop culture and co-opted
classical themes from then and now, and perfectly embodies everything that has made
Groban so successful.
~Matt Collar, All Music Guide
Average Review:
Number of reviews: 1
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A reviewer
from fredonia
AWESOME
This cd is something brand new from the world of josh groban. It is obvious by this CD josh is finally ready to get his feet wet, and dive into what is popular today. He wrote and co-wrote songs with very successful people, such as dave matthews, John Ondrosick, and Black Mombozo. This CD is buy far his best and only someone who hates good music won't by a copy.
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