Josh Groban’s third album titled “Awake” is a remarkable genre mix of pop and classical sounds with songs to fit almost any mood.
There is a buildup from silence to an energy that is still delicate and airy in the first track, “Mai.” The song is sung in Italian, but its beauty transcends language.
“You Are Loved,” the first single released from the album, is my favorite song on the album. A positive and uplifting message that lingers in the heart is given through the lyrics.
The power from the music in “You Are Loved,” along with Groban’s skillful voice, is unrelenting and each combines to create an amazing listening experience. I recommend that you definitely turn the volume up and maybe even close your eyes on this one.
Groban’s vocal quality and his control over it have been maturing with each album he releases, leaving behind the potentially over-bearing vibrato he has had in the past, giving a smooth quality the album needs to appeal to a wider audience. “Awake” shows Groban’s tremendous vocal growth and that he’s coming into his own as an artist.
“I learned from touring that my fans are really open-minded, musical, intelligent people and I feel like they want to come on this new journey with me,” Groban said on his official Web site. “The music still sounds like it’s coming from my heart and my soul and my voice. That is always the most important thing to me. My goal on ‘Awake’ was to create the music and find the best people to help me create it.”
Some of those people include producers such as Marius DeVries, David Foster and Dave Matthews, who wrote “Lullaby” along with Groban.
With no disrespect to its hauntingly beautiful harmony, “Lullaby” is a little out of place on the album, possibly more suitable for an album that has more of an overall soft focus and steers away from any kind of pop sound. The sound is piercing, though, and I was happy to listen to it.
Groban had a part in writing some of the other songs on “Awake,” such as “Now or Never” and the icy cool jazz-like track, “Machine.”
Groban also recorded “Lullaby” and “Weeping” with longtime idols Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
In addition to his outstanding voice and his skill with songwriting, the keyboards on “February Song” are played by Groban as well. According to his Web site, the song came to the 25-year-old on a sleepless night.
You can buy the album in stores, but there is also an Internet-Only Limited Edition of “Awake” that includes three additional tracks, video footage and an exclusive cover. If the additional tracks are anything like the tracks on his in-stores album, it would be worth getting the limited edition.
The musical tapestry woven by Groban and those he created this album with is beautiful, with meaningful lyrics and songs that will stand the test of time. It’s his best yet, and by far.
