My Amazon Reviews: OneRepublic "Native"

Going Native
4 Out Of 5 Stars

OneRepublic's third album, "Native," reels in the bombast of the last album, "Waking Up." In its place are smooth synths, grand choruses and bandleader Ryan Tedder's soulful voice. He's also a songwriter who has his ears glued to what makes a current hit (he counts Rhianna, Beyonce and Maroon 5 among his successes), so "Native" sounds like, well, most of the melodic pop singles of the day.

This is not a bad thing. A really good pop band (say, Maroon 5) can get in your ear canal and fill your day with a fair amount of joy. OneRepublic wants you to have a great day. They trade in on the previously mentioned bands, while obviously paying attention to the success of Mumford and Sons with a string plucked optimistic anthem titled "I Lived." Any similarities to M&S's "I Will Wait" are completely noncoincidental. Yet there are those huge hooked poptunes like the single "If I Lose Myself," or "Something I Need," which build off melodies before bursting into powerful choruses.

Tedder and OneRepublic are an eager to please bunch. "Native" is the kind of pop that you'll get from the likes of Maroon 5, The Fray and, when they're feeling really ambitious, Coldplay. By reigning in the tendency to over-produce (my main argument with "Waking Up"), he may have the best album he and his band-mates have turned in to date.