Dreaming Out Loud - OneRepublic

...Home (4.24 minutes)
13. Dreaming Out Loud (4.39 minutes - UK bonus track)
14. Something's Not Right Here (3.01 minutes -UK bonus track)
15. Apologize Remix (3.05 minutes - UK bonus track)


But would they be 15 tracks of sheer music delight or 15 tracks of musical misery?

Say (All I Need)
Starting off 'Dreaming out Loud' is a track which I originally really didn't know what to make of. ...
...the album.

Dreaming out Loud
As the album's title track 'Dreaming out Loud' follows on where 'Come Home' left off; relying heavily on Ryan's soft but beautiful vocal ability and piano skills. I like how there is more of a build up of sound heading into the second chorus to make this track more memorable than it could have been. The lyrics seem to portray the hypocrisy of the idea of fame and how, in purpose, it's just a bunch ... more

Although you may not know their name, I'm pretty sure that if you are a regular radio listener than you will have heard the song 'Apologize' over the past couple of months. Featuring legendary rapper and producer, Timbaland, the song in question is by a band called One Republic, an American five piece whose debut album 'Dreaming Out Loud' was released over in the UK on the 10th March 2008.

I have to admit that from the get go I wasn't sure whether I really liked 'Apologize' or not; I thought it had a very earthy texture to the overall sound but lyrically, it wasn't as strong as the music. Plus there was the fact that it was a bit too 'poppy' for me; I like my music to have a bit more of an edge to it but I was pretty impressed, considering it was the bands debut single.

The band consists of five members; lead vocalist Ryan Tedder who is also on guitar and piano. Zack Filkins and Drew Brown provide the other guitar sounds and back up vocals with Brent Kutzle on bass and cello and finally, Eddie Fisher on drums and percussion.

As with many new, younger bands now-a-days, the reason One Republic got its big break was through the power of the internet. Following in the footsteps of other mainstream artists such as Lily Allen, they put their music on social networking website Myspace so that music fans around the world could get a chance to hear them and - most importantly - gain exposure and some form of recognition for their music. That was in late 2006.

Fast forward to 2008 and the group from Colorado had managed to release their debut album. When my Mum ordered a copy from HMV and told me that in fact was a very good album, despite my original doubt, I decided to give it a listen anyway; 'Apologize' had grown on me significantly so I was curious about the rest of the bands first offering.

Consisting of 15 tracks, 'Dreaming Out Loud' was one of the most eagerly anticipated new music albums by many fans who had heard their debut single, loved it, and were eager to hear more of them.

The track listing is as followed:
1. Say (All I Need) (3.50 minutes)
2. Mercy (4.00 minutes)
3. Stop and Stare (4.34 minutes)
4. Apologize (3.28 minutes)
5. Goodbye, Apathy (3.32 minutes)
6. All Fall Down (4.04 minutes)
7. Tyrant (5.02 minutes)
8. Prodigal (3.55 minutes)
9. Won't Stop (5.02 minutes)
10. All We Are (4.28 minutes)
11. Someone To Save You (4.15 minutes)
12. Come Home (4.24 minutes)
13. Dreaming Out Loud (4.39 minutes - UK bonus track)
14. Something's Not Right Here (3.01 minutes -UK bonus track)
15. Apologize Remix (3.05 minutes - UK bonus track)

But would they be 15 tracks of sheer music delight or 15 tracks of musical misery?

Say (All I Need)
Starting off 'Dreaming out Loud' is a track which I originally really didn't know what to make of. Not meaning to sound stereotypical but the way in which the way the sounds have been distorted, it comes across as trying to sound like African folk music! However, once the track properly starts, it sounds very much like a track you may expect from a band like The Killers; heavy on the guitars and synth like keyboard sounds with the lyrics sounding a bit too clichéd for my liking.
Marks out of 10: 7 - I do like the arrangement of the music once the track gets started but the lyrics are a bit too boybandish.

Mercy
Right from the start of 'Mercy', the listener is treated to the diversity of Ryan's voice which can range from fairly deep to having a higher pitch momentarily. Strongly motivated by the bass in the background, 'Mercy' boasts much more imaginative lyrics than the previous track. The story is of an angel stepping in and saving someone's life when they are down to their last with tragedy being avoided by the 'Angel of Mercy'.
Marks out of 10: 8 - I can imagine this being an amazing live track! Yet, I don't think the track necessarily reached a moment of euphoria where you truly believed the lyrics. None the less, an enjoyable listen!

Stop and Stare
Being the second release from the album, it could be argued that their first single would be a hard act to follow, considering the input from an already established music star and producer such as Timbaland. However, 'Stop and Stare' did very well in the UK, debuting at #4 in the charts upon its release. Written as if the singer is finally getting over the end of a relationship or another scenario in their life, 'Stop and Stare' has a good, steady sound and beat to it and is a track that I think would appeal to people if they were fans of the 1990's Australian duo, Savage Garden.
Marks out of 10: 7.5 - perhaps a little too generic in terms of lyrics and music style.

Apologize
'Apologize' managed to gain mainstream radio airplay in the October of 2007 and got to #3 in the UK singles charts. I do like the way in which the track starts of with a soft piano tune and Timbaland's influence in the background which adds a slightly funkier sound to the piece. However, the album version lacks Timbaland's influence until the Remix later on in the album and instead focuses a lot more on the violins and background music. The lyrics here are about someone attempting to get over a lost love, more or less trying to convince themself that their lost love cannot simply apologise and get back in their life, however tempting it may be. This track really does grow on you and the more you listen to it, the most sympathetic you become to the gentle and heartfelt sounds and words.
Marks out of 10: 8.5 - a brilliant debut single! I actually like this version a lot more than the released version as the lyrics come across as being very affectionate and direct and I love the orchestra pieces that back up the piano perfectly.

Goodbye, Apathy
When I first read the track titles, I thought that 'Goodbye, Apathy' sounded interesting on the page and it certainly does to my ears! The backing vocals by the rest of the five piece build up a very different atmosphere here and the drum beats are solid enough to support the piano whilst not overshadowing it completely. Whilst the tune might seem a little aggressive or even a bit melancholic, the lyrics are very different; it is about the rush of falling head over heels in love with someone and wanting to the world to be perfect as a result of such strong feelings.
Marks out of 10: 8.5 - a good follow up to a great song like 'Apologize'.

All Fall Down
The lyrics here follow the formula of many tracks by lots of other bands; if someone feels like giving in, the singer invites them to find them, instead of being lost, be found. The violin and fiddle like instruments here make it a little more unusual to many tracks like this one and I do think that Ryan's voice is at one of its strongest points here. In a way, it reminds me a bit of U2 both musically and lyrically.
Marks out of 10: 7.5 - I like it but feel like I've heard it many of times before.

Tyrant
Starting off with a steady keyboard sound, 'Tyrant' is quite pulse like in terms of both vocal performance and music. The story sounds like someone is running away from an event but they are indecisive as to why they are doing so because they know it's real but find it hard to justify why. I love the breakdown of the music in the middle of this track right before it builds back up to being more powerful and epic.
Marks out of 10: 8 - reminds me in a way of Coldplay because of the manic keyboard tendencies throughout. But I do think it dragged on a bit too much and would have perhaps been more suited to the last spot on the album as opposed to somewhere in the middle.

Prodigal
'Prodigal' is about the admittance of a relationship being totally wrong; the other person keeps on taking but never gives anything back but misery. The music builds up a rather tense but spectacular sound which ties in nicely with the rest of the album. I like how gruff Ryan's voice sounds in this song - it helps add an entirely different depth to the track.
Marks out of 10: 8 - another solid album track.

Won't Stop
Acoustic sounds of the guitars make the vocals sound even more gentle and forgiving in 'Won't Stop', the ninth track on the album. Like the previous tracks on the album, this one is about love but because of the softer musical sounds, it makes the heartache and necessity of love seem much more passionate and essential than in other songs. Ryan's vocals take a leaf out of Darren Hayes' book, with the higher pitched sounds adding a different dimension to the lyrics and making them stand out more within the song.
Marks out of 10: 8 - this one holds some of the bands best lyrical descriptions using weather conditions to really pronounce the necessity of love.

All We Are
As with previous tracks on 'Dreaming out Loud', such as 'Mercy', God manages to creep in here which, along with the dedications in the back, shows all of the bands Religious Faith. Whilst musically the track isn't perhaps as intriguing as other tracks, I do think that the lyrics are very heartfelt and understandable - how love cannot really be painted because it just sort of happens. The topic of change makes me feel that this song was written by the band at the time when they were just beginning to get noticed in the music industry and they had to leave their partners and lovers behind for a brief period of time so that they can start their careers officially.
Marks out of 10: 8 - I like the fadeout of the music at the end.

Someone to Save You
The word apathy manages to crop up again in this song, as does the idea of losing love. After such a strong lyrical track, 'Someone to Save You' sounded very dated and corny in contrast, which it might not do if you don't pay that much attention to the lyrics. However, if like me you do, you may feel that they ruin the song a little bit, or at least they don't add much to it; the music doesn't seem to be very imaginative either so it's merely an album filler to me.
Marks out of 10: 7 - definitely the weakest track so far.

Come Home
To start off with, this one reminded me a bit of 'Let it Be' by the Fab Four but I think that is mainly because it is just the piano and Ryan's voice. The lyric follow the notion that the world isn't as bad as we think it is; it's just painted in a negative way, which avoids the true beauty of it. I like the fact that the piano and vocal performances are the main ingredients here with just a light interjection by the violins. This makes the song very sincere and a good way to end the 12 original tracks form the album.
Marks out of 10: 8.5 - an important and earnest moment for the album.

Dreaming out Loud
As the album's title track 'Dreaming out Loud' follows on where 'Come Home' left off; relying heavily on Ryan's soft but beautiful vocal ability and piano skills. I like how there is more of a build up of sound heading into the second chorus to make this track more memorable than it could have been. The lyrics seem to portray the hypocrisy of the idea of fame and how, in purpose, it's just a bunch of lies and sorrow.
Marks out of 10: 8 - not intended to be sad but the music seems to denote this.

Something's Not Right Here
This one reminds me a lot of Coldplay; Ryan's voice goes from very high and wry to deeper and more solid in seconds. This track does discuss the idea of falling out and how things are not right until the issue is resolved. I do love the powerful orchestra sounds as they contrast with the rest of the bands sounds which, at least to me, sounds to be influenced by the British band, Muse.
Marks out of 10: 7.5 - a bit forgettable to be fair.

Apologize Remix
Now onto the version many people will know and love! Featured on Timbaland's album 'Shock Value', the slightly more hip-hop influenced sounds produced here are a great contrast to the rest of the album in which none of the tracks have a drum and bass beat to them at all. None the less, I do like the way that the lyrics to this one can fit two very different musical settings to make an awesome track either way!
Marks out of 10: 8 - just piped by the album version!

ARTWORK AND PRESENTATION:
The cover design fits in nicely with the title because of the night time scene and the contrasting of the white and dark blue to black colours. However, I've got a feeling that at a first glance, many people may think that it looks a bit too gothic to fit in with the overall style and sound of the band, something that I would totally agree with. Having said that though, I do like the cover as it's a lot more creative than seeing another generic pose by a band as the cover of their album.

Instead, they saved that for the back cover! There are a couple of distorted pictures of them on the inside leaflet, underneath scratchy and blotchy patches of different colours such as brown, green and blue. Whilst I wouldn't say that the artwork on the inside was bad, it's hardly the most imaginative that I've ever seen as opposed to the front cover which I do think is pretty special.

I'm glad that the album comes with a more sustainable plastic material; some albums I have got, the CD holder's arm bar parts break very easily but with this one, although it's difficult to get the album out, at least I know that it would take a lot of the disk to break!

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY:
Considering it is a very new chart album, you should be able to pick a copy up fairly cheaply in most supermarkets. However, online prices are also very good and with most places offering free delivery, you really can't go very far wrong:

Amazon.co.uk: £8.98 (eligible for super saver delivery)
Play.com: £8.95 (free delivery)
HMV.co.uk: £8.98 (free delivery)
DVD.co.uk: £10.95 (free delivery)
CDwow.co.uk: £8.99 (free delivery)
Zavvi.co.uk: £9.00 (free delivery)

HOW DO THEY RATE ALONGSIDE OTHER BANDS?
At the moment, I would say that they are a welcome breath of fresh air to the somewhat boring mainstream British pop charts. I'm a little bit sick of hearing more and more British 'indie' groups appear on the scene that are quite frankly similar not just in fashion sense but the way their music sounds in terms of vocal performance and lyrics.

Although it's easy to put them within the genre of yet another American pop/rock band, I would say that they do sound a little bit similar to another band called 3 Doors Down. In spite of the fact that they haven't got anywhere near as much mainstream attention in the UK as One Republic, the thing that makes me compare them is due to their own sound and the fact that, although some of the tracks may sound a bit too similar in places, that this just adds to their charm if you are a casual fan; as soon as you flick on the radio, if they are on then you would certainly know.

One of the reasons why I think this is due to Ryan's voice; just like pop/rock Australian band, Savage Garden, his voice is very gentle and emotional but very clear, just like Darren Hayes'. Whilst their voices don't sound alike, the tones are the same and portray great emotion in each track. I like the fact that more than often not you can hear what he is singing and I personally think that this adds a lot more emotion to each and every song.

One Republic also sound to have either direct or indirect influences from British bands such as The Beatles, Coldplay and Muse; whilst listening to the album, there were many tracks when I could have heard them being played by other artists which in a way is good but something that the band may feel they should work on before the next album, so that they don't get negatively labelled by the press for sounding to similar to other artists.

OVERALL:
Overall, I would say that 'Dreaming out Loud' is a very good debut album by One Republic. It has a lot of variety to the album but in some places, the songs may sound a little bit too generic and similar to more well known bands and artists.

Having said that, there are certainly some very mature pieces in here with tracks like 'Apologize' and 'Come Home' sounding like they should have been produced by a band that haven't just released their first offering or in fact formed in 2004.

Although I originally feared that this was going to be too much like a boy band album, 'Dreaming Out Loud' is very pop orientated but not in a drastically obvious way. Some of the songs are a bit too corny but on the whole, many are of a really high standard that many modern bands aren't reaching now-a-days, at least in my opinion.

One thing that might put some buyers off is some of the Religious undertones in some of the tracks. Whilst they are indeed minor, I wouldn't let it put you off this album at all as they are just a small fragment of an entire album.

Now it means that we'll have to wait another four years for their second album to be released but 'Dreaming Out Loud' is certainly something that One Republic shouldn't be 'Apologizing' for!

WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT:
www.onerepublic.net - catch up with all of the bands recent happenings as well as tour information.
www.myspace.com/onerepublic - show the band some love by signing up and being apart of their myspace group! Includes selected tracks from 'Dreaming Out Loud'. 

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