Import pressing of the 2003 album from the American singing sensation features one bonus track, 'She's Out of My Life'. Produced by David Foster, this sophomore effort elaborates on the poppier side of his debut, smoothes out the edges and is a much stronger offering. Groban's vocals have grown, allowing him to add power and passion into his delivery without sounding forced or insincere. 14 tracks in all including 'My Confession', 'Caruso', 'Broken Vow' and 'Never Let Go', a collaboration with Deep Forest. Warner.
Thanks to a fortuitous intersection of talent and fate, 22-year-old Josh Groban hasn't finished his senior year in performing arts school but has already released his sophomore effort on a major major label. Fans of the young vocal phenom's debut will find much to enthrall them here, even if it nudges the singer closer to the center of producer/mentor David Foster's MOR pop sensibilities. Eschewing much of its predecessor's more overt classic-lite pretensions and pop-rock covers for a slate of dramatic, Eurocentric ballads that serve as a showcase for the singer's inviting baritone, Groban shrewdly positions himself as the American alternative to the Bocelli-Watson crossover axis. "Caruso" may find the singer falling short of its operatic inspiration, but "Oceano" and "My Confession" quickly showcase his true dramatic range (which seems to all but yearn for a bona fide Broadway musical challenge), while a vocal take of Bacalov's graceful "Il Postino" theme uses classical virtuoso Joshua Bell's violin flourishes to good effect. To his credit, Groban displays some promising efforts at songwriting collaboration on the bittersweet "Per Te" and "Remember When It Rains," while the ambient/ethnic soundscape of Deep Forest's "Never Let Go" offers a teasing alternative to the record's otherwise melodramatic production formula. Groban has found commercial triumph via Foster's mentoring, but there remains a nagging sense here that he hasn't truly pushed himself as an artist--yet. --Jerry McCulley
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Perfect christmas gift!:
This CD is really great. Josh is really good and I gove him a 10 out of 10 raiting!
Disappointed:
I was disappointed in the CD because a lot of the songs were not in English so I could not understand the lyrics
setting the mood:
I enjoy Josh Groban's music and think he is talented beyond his youthful age. He has a mature, passionate voice that takes you emotionally where you want to be when you listen to his deft voice. This CD is a must have and i recommend it to all that want to be inspired by voice and taken to new heights.
Great!:
When my mom first brought home this CD, I had my doubts... more than half of the songs were in a foreign language! But 1 minute into the first song, I reliezed that my doubts were ill-founded... this guy is great!
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