OneRepublic’s “Dreaming Out Loud”
There’s not a single human being with a lousy car radio who hasn’t been crooned into a near coma-like trance with 2007’s smash-hit single “Apologize.” Thanks to mega producer Timbaland’s remix of the sugary ballad, alt-rock boy band OneRepublic made it to the top of the charts without a lot of fuss, if only because Britney Spears’ anticipated return single “Gimme More” fell flat, and countdown junkies were tired of Fergie’s self-aware tripe. There wasn’t much to get excited about last year, and seeing our musical idols dance in and out of rehab like it was a singles bar held little appeal for the teenybopper crowd, who also helped to give Hannah Montana mind-boggling celebrity status. Make no mistake, there’s some serious pull in the preteen/early teen demographic, and OneRepublic showed up just in time to make an impact.
So, the question remains: is their debut album worth some cash, or should we throw them overboard like Hilary Clinton’s campaign manager?
The album opener, “Say (All I Need)” is stunning. S-T-U-N-N…blah, blah, blah. It’s fantastic. Pitch perfect synths, seductive vocals, and an undeniable hook alternate in and out effortlessly; just one song, and I was in love. Which is kind of embarrassing, considering these guys’ boy band status. Guilty pleasure, much? Maybe, but I’ll be honest, I wasn’t feeling too guilty by the end of the four-minute pop tour-de-force. That is, until the second track stumbled all over itself.
Really, it’s not that “Mercy” is so completely lame; it’s just that we’ve heard it before, a hundred times over: a sort of ode to [insert generic heavenly entity here] that panders to basic redemption cliches and uses the way-too-common 3/4 time signature to build to an anti-climactic finish. And since the hook isn’t that good to begin with, it’s worth one listen, and continual skips from then on.
Worry not! “Stop and Stare” more than makes up for the biblically-scaled fumble that is/was “Mercy.” It’s a basic ballad, nothing too fancy, but oh! what a hook. Honestly? This is the best track on the album, and one of my favorite sappy pop songs ever. The lyrics are frank, albeit a little cheesy (okay, a LOT cheesy). But if you’re still wailing out the lines of “Chasing Cars,” waiting for something to take Snow Patrol’s place until their next album, here’s your song. It’s awesome, for lack of a less frat-boy suitable adjective.
I’m not gonna waste your time slapping down a track-by-track review of the WHOLE album. What I will do, however, is tell you that what follows is in the same vein of derivative brit-pop with an American vocalist; so, it’s pretty run of the mill. That doesn’t make it any less fun, though. I’d recommend it, on the whole. There are only a couple other songs that don’t live up to the rest of the album [cough-"All We Are"-cough]. All in all, it’s a pretty good time. If you’re going to make the purchase, though, get it on iTunes. The download comes with 3 videos, a digital booklet, and Timbaland’s remix of the hit “Apologize” (which I didn’t review, ’cause let’s be frank, you’ve already heard it too many times, and probably know what you think about it anyway).
RATING: 3/5
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