To my surprise, their musical ability was responsible for
churning out several hits including “Apologize” and “Stop and Stare”; both of
which I can sing in my head instantly after reading their titles. Their older
hits showed their capacity to reach a level of catchiness that makes their
music sink into the listener’s heads. While their sound hasn’t changed
dramatically from their first releases to their present-day songs, they provide
the radio and listener with this rising, new, and fresh sound of alternative
rock. OneRepublic gives off a down-to-earth yet hip vibe. They don’t stick with
the basics like The Lumineers but rather successfully combine talented (and
relatively soft toned) vocals with electronic-influenced instrumentals. They
seem like an older version of Imagine Dragons in the fact that they present
fresh ideas but aren’t quite as satisfying as some of Imagine Dragons’ hits.
I think this can be lent to the fact that OneRepublic has
progressed relatively slowly as a band. They seem to release a song/album and
bask in the glory for as long as possible. After being on the music scene for a
total of 10-11 years now, they have only officially released two albums! While
their third album is coming out shortly, this still seems like a ridiculously
long time. Compared to the Beatles’ lightning speed of album release, this
seems humorous at best. I believe this lacking has made their sound not change
very much throughout their career.
Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, either. Their sound
started off satisfactory and has simply maintained. While it hasn’t done
anything spectacular for me, I’m very interested to see where they go in their
third album. I have looked towards their two newly released singles from the
album in order to potentially get a better glimpse at where their music is
going. And I like what I see (or hear, I guess).
They have the passion and heart of some of the greater
artists such as Alicia Keys, which in my opinion goes a long way. Through their
songs they explore issues that the listener can relate to. A lot of times this
circles primarily around love but there’s nothing wrong with that. Love is a
great concept for music to be based on because of its universality. I think
where they slightly falter is in the mediocrity of their lyrics. Because they
are a slightly more pop-style band as compared to other alternative rock
groups, I think the simplicity plague has influenced them. Despite this fact,
however, their songs travel at a brisk pace and I never feel myself growing old
as I listen to the music they generate. To make up for their slight deficiency
in lyrics, they have a full song-arc accompanied with energetic instrumental
breaks at times. Overall, their music has pretty high levels of energy.
I know that I’ve been a little hard on this band but they
are really really talented! Despite my above criticism, they mesh extremely
well. Their perfect blend of harmonies, strong lead vocals, supportive
instrumentals, and sick beats drives their music to new limits that ultimately
livens up the radio. For example, I
can’t stop listening to one of their latest hits “Feel Again”. Starting out
relatively soft and slow, it quickly builds up utilizing low drums and
electronic sounds. The vocals shine through the low drive of the song, however.
They maintain a steady and consistent aura of pure energy throughout the
entirety of the song which keeps it interesting. Check it out:
Okay, this next song was just released about a week ago. “If
I Lose Myself” takes on a completely different personality as “Feel Again”.
With a funky beat at the beginning, it transitions smoothly into softer rock
sound. Almost ballad-like vocals fuse with a soft guitar strums and hi-hat.
This one of their songs that really stands out to me because of its variety
compared to past music by OneRepublic. Check it out for yourself. I highly
recommend this:
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