Josh Groban - All That Echoes (17/02/2013)
Unsurprisingly, Josh Groban released his sixth studio album All That Echoes at the beginning of this February just in time for Valentine’s Day. Although many find the likes of Josh Groban and similar crooners such as Michael Buble to deliver songs that will sweep women off their feet, All That Echoes has a more serious undertone. It explores all sides of life and bridges the gap between between its positive and negative aspects.
It is undeniable that Groban has a strong but smooth and sweet voice. All That Echoes does a really inconsistent job of making his voice shine. With such a booming orchestra it can often become a fight for the listener’s attention between the music and the lyrics.
As is typical for this genre, the album features a mix of cover songs and original songs which were written by Groban with the assistance of various collaborators. Groban delivers every song with the same enthusiasm and professionalism however his original songs seem to outshine the covers. Opening track Brave, is a perfect example of this; it has a great beat (which is not always typical of a track with an orchestra), inspiring lyrics without being over-the-top positive and a vocal performance to match the overwhelming orchestra. The Italian duet E Ti Promettero (featuring Laura Pausini) is another powerful original and is a delight to listen to even if your understanding of Italian is limited.
Overall, this album does not reach the heights of his previous albums. Fans will definitely enjoy this new release and the original tracks really are a pleasure to listen to. The cover tracks take the shine away from Groban’s songwriting talent and are only saved by his wonderful voice. Regardless, All That Echoes is worth a listen and the lyrics of the songs work well together.
Natalia Baranowski
It is undeniable that Groban has a strong but smooth and sweet voice. All That Echoes does a really inconsistent job of making his voice shine. With such a booming orchestra it can often become a fight for the listener’s attention between the music and the lyrics.
As is typical for this genre, the album features a mix of cover songs and original songs which were written by Groban with the assistance of various collaborators. Groban delivers every song with the same enthusiasm and professionalism however his original songs seem to outshine the covers. Opening track Brave, is a perfect example of this; it has a great beat (which is not always typical of a track with an orchestra), inspiring lyrics without being over-the-top positive and a vocal performance to match the overwhelming orchestra. The Italian duet E Ti Promettero (featuring Laura Pausini) is another powerful original and is a delight to listen to even if your understanding of Italian is limited.
Overall, this album does not reach the heights of his previous albums. Fans will definitely enjoy this new release and the original tracks really are a pleasure to listen to. The cover tracks take the shine away from Groban’s songwriting talent and are only saved by his wonderful voice. Regardless, All That Echoes is worth a listen and the lyrics of the songs work well together.
Natalia Baranowski