OneRepublic – Native
Reviewed by Haley Black
Pop-rock sensations, OneRepublic, out of Colorado Springs, Colorado is gearing up to release its newest album, Native, but Highlight is giving you a first-look at the record. Ever since the band’s very first single “Apologize” came out in 2007, they have hit the mainstream full force, having many songs featured in movie soundtracks and constantly receiving radio play. So far, Native is no exception and the band keeps producing catchy tunes that appeal to a wide range of listeners.
Two songs included on the album, “Feel Again” and “If I Lose Myself” have been extremely popular on the radio and the Billboard Top 40 Charts for the past few months. Often times singles are the best tracks on a record, but in this case they are not all that the band’s third full length album has to offer, and that’s saying something.
“Au Revoir” is a beautiful piano ballad that also incorporates a lot of violin, creating a more classic sound. An apparent display of vocalist Ryan Tedder’s ridiculous set of pipes can especially be heard in, “Burning Bridges.” Both of these songs represent the band’s trademark sound that paved the way for them on the road to fame in the first place.
“Can’t Stop” and “Don’t Look Down” both have an unnecessary amount of auto tune that distracts from the band’s usual authenticity, which is why many of the acoustic bonus tracks from the deluxe edition are significantly more impressive. Tedder’s vocals are somewhat suffocated and the instruments that are supposed to be dominant are diluted by synthesizers. If many of the songs were slightly more stripped down, this record would have exceeded all expectations.
Overall Rating 3.5/5
Recommended tracks: “I Lived” and “Au Revoir”
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