Bethany Schram
Assitant News Editor
After OneRepublic’s last album release “Waking Up” in 2007, I had almost completely forgotten just how much I love their music. Stumbling onto their new album release, “Native” on iTunes was such a pleasant surprise and it made me fall in love all over again.
I previewed the first song and I was completely sold. “Counting Stars” makes it apparent that OneRepublic chose to experiment with different styles, which they did, and the results are impressive.
The second song, “If I Lose Myself,” is a perfect example of the new direction OneRepublic took with “Native.” It contains electronic beats not often used in previous albums. It’ll make you want to fist-pump until the choral ending, my favorite part of the song.
“Feel Again,” was the album’s first single released earlier this year. “Feel Again” really defines the essence and general sound of the songs to follow. It’s definitely one, if not, the staple song of “Native.”
Although somewhat repetitive, “Can’t Stop” is sung so passionately it’s one I can never skip, and as sad as it is, it’s rather catchy. “Can’t Stop” will definitely be one of those songs to turn up in the car and sing on the top of your lungs after a breakup. I know I probably will.
Following “Can’t Stop,” the album begins to slow its pace. With “Au Revior” and then “Burning Bridges,” With these songs, I am reminded of past OneRepublic music, as they lean back towards their usual alternative musical style.
“Something I Need,” I admit, was one I breezed by the first time I listened to it. Later, I found myself singing it throughout the day without even realizing what it was from.
My favorite song on the entire CD has to be “Preacher.” I love the lyrics, I love how it sounds and it’s the reason I’ve listened to “Native” far too many times then I’d like to admit. It really reminds me of something Coldplay would produce and with this song, OneRepublic just may give them a run for their money. “Preacher” ends with a gospel choir, fitting in perfectly with the song’s meaning and eloquently brings it to a close.
“Native” ends with “Don’t Look Down,” a sort of part two for “Preacher.” With this song, OneRepublic goes out with a bang. Through the use of minimal lyrics, but intense musical accompaniment such as pipe organs, I really couldn’t think of a better song to end with.
If you are going to purchase “Native,” splurge the extra amount for the deluxe edition. It comes with five additional songs including, “Something’s Gotta Give” and “Life in Color,” the reason worth buying the deluxe. Featured in a Ralph Lauren perfume commercial, it’s a great song to sing along to.
Acoustic versions of “”If I Lose Myself,” “What You Wanted” and “Burning Bridges” are also a part of the deluxe edition. The different arrangement of these songs make it feel entirely different than the originals, if not better.
“Native” is going to be one of those CDs I’m going to be listing to for quite some time. I don’t see it getting old anytime soon, and as many times as I’ve listened to it, if it hasn’t by now, it might not ever.
