Curly haired, 25-year-old baritone Josh Groban [ tickets ] pulls out all the stops on his third album, "Awake," collaborating with Ladysmith Black Mambazo on two songs (one of which also features Vusi Mahlasela), and enlisting Herbie Hancock to brighten "Machine," a horn-laden, soul-inflected song that should be suitable for pop listeners who may have otherwise written Groban off.

Groban's longtime producer David Foster is noticeably absent on the new CD. Instead, the singer chose to work with English knob-turner Marius de Vries, best known for his work with Madonna and Bjork, as well as for his role as the musical director for the film "Moulin Rouge," a body of experience that lends to the electronica landscape of "Now or Never" and "In Her Eyes."

While most of the tracks on "Awake" are sung in Italian or Spanish, the set does include a handful of English-language tracks. Groban co-wrote the somber "February Song" with Five for Fighting's John Ondrasik, while Imogen Heap ("Now or Never") and the unlikely Dave Matthews ("Lullaby," one of two socially conscious songs on the release) also have songwriting credits.

Musically, Groban takes a minimalist approach on songs such as the opening number, "Mai," which begins subtly before exploding into full orchestration. His soaring vocals, however, remain front and center.