Search - Onerepublic :: Waking Up: Deluxe Edition (with Bonus Disc)

This deluxe version really doesn't add anything new...

Andrew Ellington | I'm kind of everywhere | 06/08/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I just reviewed this album, but I also wanted to add my thoughts on the deluxe version, which I own. So first I'll post my review of the album itself, and then I'll tag on my thoughts on the bonus songs included in this version.



First, my review of `Waking Up':



"I really like OneRepublic. I remember when I first heard `Apologize' and I was instantly hooked. I love their style and their sound and Ryan Tedder's voice is magic to my ears. He has the perfect falsetto, yet he never comes off as anything less than masculine in his delivery. Lyrically, they have a nice repertoire, and just when I think that they can't one-up themselves I hear the next track and I'm engaged all over again.



All of this said, they have yet to produce an album as universally complete as I know they are capable of.



In parts `Waking Up' is a great album. Sadly, OneRepublic winds up tied down by the one thing that makes them so unique; their sound. When you hear any of the songs on this album it is instantly obvious that it is a One Republic song. Even before Ryan starts serenading us, we know that his voice is about to be broadcast. OneRepublic has a signature sound that they drench each and every track on this album with to the point where their songs start to run into one another.



It's a shame, I know.



The eleven tracks on this album range from great to mediocre, with only really one song standing out as unappealing to me, but then again only three stand out as truly amazing to me.



The album opens with a gigantic bang, the first three songs basically setting the bar SO high that the only way to go from there was down. `Made For You' is a fantastic opening track, perfectly fusing the pop beats with the soft piano and that chorus is just hauntingly hushed yet loud with emotional merit. `All the Right Moves' keeps the energy high with a chorus so energetically engrossing you can't help but become a part of the song. Still, `Secrets' is even better. The musical opening is stunning and instantly grabs the listener. The lyrical content is pure and poignant. When the songs snaps into attention less than 40 seconds in with that stunning chorus you know that you have found this bands opus.



And then the album starts to spiral away from itself.



`Everybody Loves Me' is rich with satirical content, but it just doesn't manage to be anything more than a Beck soundalike. `Good Life' is `happy-inducing' but it is also a tad lazy. It just sounds so familiar for them, with no real newness to it. That said, I really like the song. In fact, I really like the entire album, it just doesn't wow me like I expected after that one-two-THREE punch right off the bat. `Marchin On' has grown on me, if not for the fact that it shows true ambition. It can feel a tad long, but no where near as long as the title track, `Waking Up', comes off as. In fact, that song is the one that I just DO NOT LIKE. It is just really bland and it carries on for far too long. `Missing Persons 1 & 2' is nice and subtle, yet it doesn't leave a major impact. It is pretty to listen to, but Ryan's voice does seem to strain in parts. I do like the haunting quality to the song, but it just doesn't live up to potential. The shift in song structure is also odd. Why didn't they separate this into two tracks? `All This Time' sounds like something they've already done, with no real spark or anything to remember. In fact, it actually sounds a tad dated. `Fear' is simply forgettable. It almost feels like an afterthought.



The closing song `Lullaby' would have been less disappointing had the rest of the album been more impressive. It isn't a bad song at all, and it would generally be a great way to end an album (soft, sweet, serene) but instead it just becomes another seemingly dull song.



In the end, I still give this album a B and recommend it if you are a fan of the group. Ryan Tedder is going to stick around (highly in demand as a song writer and producer as well) so I don't expect this band to go away anytime soon, which is a good thing. I want them to release an album that lives up to what I know they can create. They have the goods and they have a unique and signature sound that I really wish they would use to the full instead of allowing it to defeat them by rendering them seemingly `one-note'."



Now, for my thoughts on the bonus disc:



Like my review title suggests, this deluxe version really doesn't add anything new to the picture. Aside from the beautifully delicate `It's a Shame', this is just a mix of mediocre fare. If you purchased the Exclusive provided by this site then you will also have their cover of Duffy's `Mercy'. I actually love what they did with it. The original is better (obviously) but their cover shows some versatility on their part and I want to see more of that. `Passenger' is just horribly crafted. It is not only boring but it is musically annoying (the guitar riff is ear-splitting). `Trap Door' and `Sucker Punch' are not bad, but they really lack any true spark. They definitely feel like B-Side tracks that were left off the album for a reason, not bonus tracks we should be grateful were released for us. `Sucker Punch' has a Harvey Danger feel to it, which I kind of like, but it isn't developed enough.



Here is my ranking for those interested:



1) Secrets

2) Made for You

3) All the Right Moves

4) Mercy

5) Good Life

6) It's a Shame

7) Marchin On

8) Everybody Loves Me

9) Lullaby

10) Missing Persons 1 & 2

11) Sucker Punch

12) All This Time

13) Trap Door

14) Fear

15) Waking Up

16) Passenger"