Dreaming Out Loud puts listeners to sleep

OneRepublic should thank Timbaland for remixing its one-hit song.

By Jess Camp

Published Nov. 30, 2007

It's kind of hard to turn on your radio and not hear Timbaland's "Apologize." Sure, the song's nice, and it's clearly got whatever it takes to make a hit, but does the guest dude have to be so whiny? He should suck it up, move on and find another girl who can fill the void in his heart.

What you might not know about "Apologize" is that a band called OneRepublic created it. Timbaland took the band under his wing and re-mixed the song into the monster hit it has become.

Sadly for the guys sporting side-swept bangs and faux-hawks, the other songs on their first album, Dreaming Out Loud, aren't hit-worthy. They just aren't original enough to be memorable.

If a friend popped in this CD and told you to guess who was singing, it would probably be hard to figure out. Your ears would find themselves absorbing an odd mix of The Fray, Mat Kearney, Howie Day and a splash of Aqualung for good measure.

OneRepublic has probably spent much time mixing these influences together in a big pot to create something new. But sadly, instead of producing a wonderful stew, they end up just creating a bland soup.

Dreaming Out Loud isn't exciting and doesn't leave the listener hungry for more. Maybe OneRepublic should let Timbaland re-mix all of their songs; then maybe they might make something worth listening to.

But not all is lost. A wide variety of instruments pop up on the tracks, giving a much needed extra oomph. The violin and piano make numerous appearances, and every now and then, a surprising falsetto rings out and jolts you to make sure you're paying attention.

"Say (All I Need)" does its best to save the album. It opens with a weird techno-chanting sound reminiscent of Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek." Although the meaning of the song is unclear — even after reading the lyrics — the singer's voice is easy to understand and has a good vocal range. It seems as though the narrator has his priorities in order and realizes all he needs is "the air I breathe and a place to rest my head." It sounds like he's encouraging the listeners to forget about their worries, too.

"All We Are" also has potential to be a hit. It's about a couple contemplating a breakup because they are just too different. But, in the end, they decide it's better to stay together because they really couldn't live apart. Although that might sound like a lame message, the tempo and emotion that comes through are superb.

Every pop album needs a love song designed to make the ladies melt. "Won't Stop" does the trick here. It's full of high-pitched lines of devotions and affirmations. It's about seeing someone walk in a room and instantly knowing they're the one for you. "I swear it's you," is repeated many times and is often followed by lines such as "that I've waited for" and "that my heart beats for." Sweet.

Overall, this album isn't hideous. Your eardrums will stay intact, and you probably won't wish for the last hour of your life back, but you most likely won't be too eager to listen to it again.