Josh Groban  | All That Echoes

Do you remember where you were the first time you heard [Insert song title here]? It’s rare, isn’t it, when we hear so much music in the course of a day to try to pick out that one instance, to recall that exact moment when a particular song or artist made an impression above and beyond the norm. An impression so powerful that it is impossible for you to forget.

For me, this was Josh Groban. I was driving on a road in Bridgewater, headed off to school, and “Where You Are” began to play. I literally stopped breathing momentarily, had to pull over and by the end of the song, was weeping. The man is, without contest, one of the best singers I have ever heard, with a voice that seems to have been borrowed from some heavenly entity. Every cell in my body was on fire and alive … because of a song.

Groban’s most recent album, All That Echoes, does not fall short of this same magic. In it, he has that same ethereal voice but uses it in a more mainstream fashion, making it a little more accessible to those who don’t normally listen to classical music. The album debuted at No.1 on Billboard and even works in a different take on a Stevie Wonder cover. With song subjects that range from empowerment and love to heartbreak and poverty, Groban certainly has his bases covered.

There is a unique mix of traditional and contemporary sound throughout the album this time around. From the more pop-sounding “Brave” to the international flavor of “Un Alma Mas,” featuring Arturo Sandoval (a Cuban jazz musician and Grammy winner mentored by Dizzy Gillespie) and the more classical “She Moved Through the Fair,” the album proves that Groban can sing pretty much anything. Though he has a voice larger than life, he tempers it with stirring emotion and doesn’t use it to “show off,” and honestly…he doesn’t have to.

For more information on Josh Groban, upcoming tours and recent projects, visit joshgroban.com.

 

ONCDLukeMacneilPhotoCreditKaraEmilyKrantzLuke MacNeil | These Are Good Songs 

Any musician who titles his album These Are Good Songs immediately puts himself in a corner and creates his own mountain to scale. It takes extreme confidence to place such a bold banner on the front of your new collection of songs. So they must be good, right? Luckily for Luke MacNeil, his new tunes easily back up his provocative album title.

In a time when it’s typical to hear layers upon layers of over-processed music, MacNeil’s songs are an immediate jolt to the senses. They have passion, and most importantly, they have soul. With just his voice and an acoustic guitar, MacNeil commands attention from the first strum of the opening “Cole Durhew” and never lets go.

While MacNeil’s guitar chops are effective and get the job done, it’s his strong voice that cuts through and leaves a lasting impression. In songs like “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” and “Oh My Sweet Carolina,” MacNeil captures his somber feelings of hurt and longing perfectly in his singing. He can turn the coin and translate his anger, as well, particularly in the embittered “Pariah.”

It’s not easy to put yourself out there, especially in such a stripped-down fashion as MacNeil does here. But after listening to These Are Good Songs, you know that he was right, these are good songs, and you can trust that he is, in fact, coming straight from the heart.

Visit cdbaby.com/cd/lukemacneil to download These Are Good Songs.

 

OnCDJenniferNettlesJennifer Nettles | That Girl 

She may be a little bit country ~ OK, a whole lotta country ~ but the Sugarland chanteuse has always had my admiration for the sheer power of her pipes.

There’s still an undeniable twang present on That Girl, but we’re not treading deep in Reba or Dolly country here (pun intended). The title track does pay homage to Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene,” however: “Imagine how surprised I was / When he got up to leave / It wasn’t my name on his lips / No, he didn’t call for me / He didn’t say, Jolene.”

Most of the other songs on Nettles’ debut solo album ~ three years in the making ~ are stewing in melancholy, but there’s also a definitive swagger in her heartfelt lyrics. Nettles wrote or co-wrote 10 of the 11 songs, and that kind of passion comes through and ratchets up its likability quotient.

You’re not going to rock out with That Girl, though tracks like “Know You Wanna Know” and “Moneyball” do pick up the tempo. Nettles’ strengths lie in her ballads. “Thank You” and “This One’s For You” (the latter co-written with Sara Bareilles) are particularly effective as sweet songs that don’t overload the sugar. “Jealousy” is a bit of a departure for the artist and a sassy, trashy, welcome one at that: “I won’t tell anyone you bought a new pair / I’ll even tolerate your skanky fake hair / ‘Cause we both know you win / Honey, you got him.” And if you’re a sucker for a good country cry, the aptly titled sob song “Good Time to Cry” will go well with your whiskey or bottle of wine.

Follow her at @JenniferNettles or visit JenniferNettles.com.