Stages

"There's no doubt that the operatic pop singer is one of today's great vocal talents, and he has proved he can be very funny on social media and talk shows. But his music could desperately use some of that spark: Groban's seventh LP is a set of technically proficient covers of musical-theater tunes that falls flat emotionally. The high points are duets with Kelly Clarkson ("All I Ask of You") and Audra McDonald ("If I Loved You") that at least hint that such a well-oiled machine can feel".

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"His phrasing and control are unimpeachable, and the warmth of his tone makes the tweeness of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory song Pure Imagination more palatable. On I Loved You (from Carousel), he duets sumptuously with Broadway star Audra McDonald, their deliciously histrionic crescendo shaking the rafters. But another guest, Kelly Clarkson, brings out the cabaret crooner in him; they turn All I Ask of You (Phantom of the Opera) into a slurpy retread of Richie and Ross's Endless Love. Overall, Groban doesn't reinterpret or add twists, and the emphasis on post-1960s songs denies us the pleasure of hearing him take on the real classics - but Stages is often highly enjoyable".

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