Rating
3.0

OneRepublic displays its members’ impressive musical talents in their latest album, Waking Up. By making a record that flourishes with easy-listening instrumentals, OneRepublic has created a both decent and enjoyable album with this November release. However, the faults of the record lie in its unoriginal lyrics and a couple of simply unappealing tracks.

“Made For You,” the album’s opening ensemble, provides a variety of musical techniques, including enhanced vocals and a children’s choir. Usually, adding numerous effects to a single song becomes distracting at some point; however, when it comes to the music of OneRepublic, it actually works in the band’s favor.

The track makes an almost unnoticeable transition into the first single of the album: “All the Right Moves.” The second song is, hands down, the only track that comes close to appealing to top-40 radio listeners out of all the songs on the record. Although it is the only song worthy of a nationwide hit, it is not the only track worth listening to.

“Waking Up,” the title track, is vocal-focused and uninteresting for three minutes and 26 seconds until the band members create a collaboration of absolutely beautiful instrumentals, including a piano and viola.

“Fear” is the most emotionally charged song of the album, and it possesses music and lyrics that relate to its message of childlike nostalgia during times in which fear did not exist.

The album finishes with an exceptional and applause-worthy cover of Duffy’s radio hit, “Mercy.” As far as covers go, the band managed to pull off a song originally intended for female singers through their use of impressive vocals and matching chord progressions.

Although the lyrics of OneRepublic’s Waking Up are just average, the outstanding musical talent of the band makes up for it, providing enough reason to purchase the album.