Native - OneRepublic

I have been listening to OneRepublic since the Timberland version of "Apologize" released in 2007, and have followed them with interest, watching their sound change and evolve. I've been anticipating Natives for while now, seeing that it has been 4 years since their last release. From what I've heard though, it was definitely worth the wait. The lead singles have been extremely promising, and some of my favorites by the band to this day. "If I Lose Myself" and "What You Wanted" are pop anthems that could fill a stadium perfectly, and "Feel Again" is a positive, radio-friendly hit.

Overall, this album is much more pop oriented, which should be no surprise if you've been listening to the progression of their music. Songs like "Good Life" and "Secrets" from their previous album, Waking Up, were distinctly pop oriented. Now, while they may be more pop oriented, they also include elements from their first album,  Dreaming Out Loud, such as in songs like "Light It Up", with it's use of drums from an actual drumkit and sweet little guitar line. Ryan Tedder's falsetto is also present, which is a beautiful sound. At the same time, the song uses some synths in the background to give the song an even bigger sound than before. The epic theme runs throughout the whole album, especially on tracks like "Can't Stop", which might be one of my favorites off the album. Tedder's falsetto combined with some echoing-electronic beats and a simple ascending piano line creates a sound I absolutely love. I can tell I'll be playing this one constantly for a while. 

So, even though they may be including these huge anthems on the album, they haven't forgotten about their roots in mellow, acoustic driven sounds, exemplified on "Au Revoir" with its chilled tone and use of strings and acoustic piano, much like they did on Dreaming Out Loud. This song is beautiful, moving, and a very well placed contrast to the high soaring sounds of the other tracks. The next track, "Burning Bridges", is another great example of the epic theme. A driving drum beat, combined with filling synths and Tedder's rising vocals create a song worthy of blasting with the windows down. Another cool motif present in the album is the gospel style vocals featured on a few of the tracks, like "Something I Need" and "Preacher". It gives the songs a Southern vibe, and shows the variety of influences the band takes into account. In a video the band posted on their YouTube account, they actually went to New Orleans in Louisiana to record a few of the tracks as so to truly capture the essence of the city and the people. They talked about how traveling and touring had introduced them to so many different places and cultures that influenced them. It was really cool to see how the band has matured and taken in what they've learned and seen in the world around them. A nice close to the album is "Don't Look Down", which is an electronic heavy masterpiece featuring a choir that's pushing the epic feel as well as the strings are. It's a grand finish to a grand album.

Also, if you purchase the Deluxe Version of the album, it comes with two bonus tracks and three acoustic versions of some of the tracks. These are definitely worth the extra money. "Something's Gotta Give" is a percussion heavy song with great synth add-ins. A bit of a Hip-Hop influence is present, which is not a surprise knowing Tedder's tastes in music. "Life In Color" is a fast and up-beat song that makes you want to run around and dance. It's so vibrant, and filled with life. Definitely a great song. And the three "acoustic" songs, "If I Lose Myself", "What You Wanted", and "Burning Bridges" are less acoustic and more stripped down. It shows that there is true talent there. These boys aren't just using electronics and auto-tuning like a lot of artists out there to get radio play. OneRepublic makes music because they love it and they can actually do what they record. It's encouraging and heartwarming to know there's still bands out there that are like that.

In conclusion, go buy it. Right now. It's beyond fantastic. It's epic. Epic isn't a big enough word to describe it. This band is insanely talented, and I'm so glad they are getting recognition for the hard work they've put in. There isn't a single song on the album I didn't like, and so many that I love. 5/5

Tracklist:

Counting Stars - 4:17 (5/5)*

If I Lose Myself - 4:02 (5/5)

Feel Again - 3:06 (4/5)

What You Wanted - 4:01 (5/5)

I Lived - 3:55 (4/5)

Light It Up - 4:10 (5/5)

Can’t Stop - 4:10 (5/5)

Au Revoir - 4:50 (5/5)

Burning Bridges - 4:18 (5/5)

Something I Need - 4:01 (4/5)

Preacher - 4:08 (4/5)

Don’t Look Down - 1:39 (5/5)

Something’s Gotta Give - 4:52 (5/5)

Life in Color - 3:23 (5/5)

If I Lose Myself (Acoustic) - 3:50 (5/5)

What You Wanted (Acoustic) - 3:24 (5/5)

Burning Bridges (Acoustic) - 4:36 (5/5)

*(Edit 4/6/13: Originally rated 4/5, changed to 5/5)