Josh Groban CHAD NEUMAN listens to a mixture of operatic and modern music Warner    9 48154-2

Josh Groban, a relatively new operatic singer to the music industry, sings with great talent, especially for being so relatively new. According to Jerry McCulley of Amazon.com, Groban was 17 when producer David Foster had him fill in for Andrea Bocelli at rehearsals for the 1999 Grammys. He had to drop out of Carnegie Mellon when his professional life and record were interfering.

The self-titled release, Josh Groban, features tracks such as Alla Luce Del Sole, which combines operatic singing with a background composed of synthesized beats, piano and backup vocals. This gives a somewhat 'modern' operatic sound.

You're Still You does not sound operatic but rather much like an easy listening love song. Cinema Paradiso (Se) features an orchestra in the background instead of the more modernized synthesized sound, making it one of the few purely operatic pieces on the album, while Canto Alla Vita, which features the Corrs, utilizes the beats and sounds of techno, and combined with opera, it makes an odd couple.

Whether or not someone really enjoys or just likes this album depends on personal preference of the mixture of opera and modern music. Groban's album is a bit more 'modern-sounding' than those of many current opera stars. Some may enjoy the mix of modern sounds and operatic talent, some may enjoy modern music exclusively and others just opera. Groban's mix of modern and operatic sounds will probably show that getting started early in singing can lead to a great career.