Part of
Josh Groban's charm is his ability to imbue cover songs with such warmth and technical sonority as to convince you in the moment that his is the best version. It's a skill he highlights with his ebullient 2020 covers album
Harmony. Produced by
Bernie Herms, with additional production work by
Steve Jordan,
Tommee Profitt, and
Federico Vindver,
Harmony finds
Groban putting his distinctive, classically informed spin on some of his favorite songs, from jazz standards to more contemporary pop fare. It's the kind of album singers would readily make in the 1960s and '70s, and which allowed them to explore a variety of songs from outside their regular genre. The record opens with a dramatic take on "The World We Knew (Over and Over)," which builds upon
Frank Sinatra's 1967 spaghetti western-accented original with cinematic orchestration that lends it a James Bond-theme song quality. The orchestration continues throughout the album as
Groban's warm voice is framed in lush strings, vibrant horns, and a deft modicum of guitar and keyboard flourishes. The arrangements are eminently tasteful and help to further enhance his adept readings of songs like
Robbie Williams' "Angels,"
Kenny Loggins' "Celebrate Me Home," and
Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me." Elsewhere, we get compelling renditions of such well-known standards as
Charles Aznavour's "She," "The Impossible Dream," and the
Elvis classic "It's Now or Never." Several nicely done duets are also featured, including a soulful interpretation of
Sting's "Shape of My Heart" with
Leslie Odom, Jr. and a poignant take of "Both Sides Now" with
Sara Bareilles. While
Groban has already proven his knack for singing songs well outside the classical tradition,
Harmony further underlines that surprising adaptability, as well as his virtuosic skill at making those songs his own. ~ Matt Collar