With the album Illuminations produced by Rick Rubin, the American pop opera singer Josh Groban seemed to be heading towards 'normal' pop. An exciting development, but after this outing the singer probably wanted to meet his old fans, the Grobanites, more. With producer Rob Cavallo and accompanists from the rock and classical world, he created his sixth studio album All That Echoes, with besides a
… small piano ballad, especially grand and full arrangements. The twelve tracks contain seven co-written songs and five covers, including the folk-traditional She Moved Through The Fair and Jimmy Webb's The Moon's A Harsh Mistress. Groban sings an Italian-language duet with Laura Pausini and trumpet player Arturo Sandoval plays on Un Alma Mas. However melodic and melodious Groban's singing voice and music may sound, the danger is lurking that in the end none of it really takes root and that you lack zest or rawness. Fortunately, the mysterious and somewhat dark song Hollow Talk sounds at the end, followed by a longingly sung and compelling Sincera and ending in a climax with Stevie Wonder's I Believe. (SvdP)more