Rock Band One Republic to Play at Riverfest

Staff Writer

     Pop-Rock band One Republic has just been added to the lineup for the 2008 Riverfest event in Little Rock and North Little Rock Labor Day weekend. The band will take the Budweiser Stage in North Little Rock Saturday, May 24 according to the event’s Web site.

Courtesy of One Republic's MySpace

One Republic

    But who is this band One Republic?

   The band, formed out of Colorado and fronted by Ryan Tedder, rose to stardom in 2007 when music producer Timbaland remixed their single “Apologize.” Since then, their music has spread to top the charts and fit perfectly into many popular television shows. Republic’s songs have been featured in the shows “Cold Case,” “Gossip Girl,” “The Hills,” “Smallville” and “Ghost Whisperer” to name a few.

   Their debut album “Dreaming Out Loud” reached No. 14 on the U.S. charts and No. 10 on the world charts. Their second single, “Stop and Stare” is currently climbing the charts.

   Much to my surprise, their album goes in a different direction than the song “Apologize” would suggest. Rather than pop with flares of R&B, their album contains alternative rock styles. Highlights on the album include:

“Stop and Stare”

   “This town is colder now, I think it's sick of us / It's time to make our move, I'm shaking off the rust / I've got my heart set on anywhere but here / I'm staring down myself, counting up the years / Steady hands, just take the wheel / And every glance is killing me / Time to make one last appeal ... for the life I lead,” Tedder sings.

  This song contains an extremely catchy chorus, almost as catchy as that of “Apologize.” Its acoustic rock sound provides the perfect glimpse into what to expect for the rest of the album.

   “Stop and stare / I think I'm moving but I go nowhere / Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared / But I've become what I can't be, oh / Stop and stare / You start to wonder why you're here not there / And you'd give anything to get what's fair / But fair ain't what you really need / Oh, can you see what I see,” he continues for the chorus.

“All Fall Down”

   This chilling song opens with the strings of a violin overpowering a guitar. Even before words are heard, the song pulls you in.

   “Step out the door and it feels like rain / That's the sound (that's the sound) on your window pane / Take to the streets but you can't ignore / That's the sound (that's the sound) you're waiting for / You feel that your world starts crashing down / Whenever you're world starts crashing down / Whenever your world starts crashing down / That's when you find me,” he sings.

Courtesy of One Republic'sMySpace

One Republic

   The violins continue to play throughout, creating the best song on the album.  The lyrics are raw against the captivating music.  Trust me, its epic.

“Prodigal”
 
   Something haunts this song. The music and lyrics combine to form one of the most entrancing, yet refreshing songs. The guitar and drums only add to the chills.
   
   “We say good-bye / I turn my back / Run away, run away / So predictable / Not far from here / You see me crack / Like a bone, like a bone / I'm so breakable / And I take everything from you / But you'll take anything / Won't you?” Tedder sings.

   The even more haunted-sounding chorus kicks in with, “Run away, run away / Like a prodigal / Don't you wait for me / Don't you wait for me / So ashamed, so ashamed / But I need you so / And you wait for me / And you wait for me.”

“All We Are”

   “I tried to paint you a picture / The colors were all wrong / Black and white didn't fit you and all along you were shaded with patience / You're strokes of everything that I need just to make it and I believe that / Time can tear you apart / But it won't break anything that you are, you are,” he begins the song.

   You could not ask for a more creative introduction. His lyrics, clever in his own way, mixed with the backing of the band make an interesting track. The song uniquely starts slow, picks up, slows down, and picks back up before ending.

“Come Home”

   “Hello world / Hope you're listening / Forgive me if I'm young / For speaking out of turn / There's someone I've been missing / I think that they could be / The better half of me / They're in their own place trying to make it right / But I'm tired of justifying,” he sings.

Courtesy of One Republic's MySpace

One Republic

   This song, a ballad accompanied only by the piano, fit perfectly into a homecoming scene in the television drama “Gossip Girl.”

   “So I say you'll come home / Come home / 'Cause I've been waiting for you  / For so long / For so long / And right now there's a war between the vanities / But all I see is you and me / The fight for you is all I've ever known / So come home,” Tedder sings in a mellow tone.

   In all, the album “Dreaming Out Loud,” is full of great alternative rock songs with just the right amount of pop and R&B thrown in. I turned out liking the album much more than I intended to.

   You can catch Tedder and his band One Republic, as well as the rest of the acts scheduled to perform, at Riverfest this year. For more information on the event visit Riverfest Arkansas and for more on the band, check out itsofficial site

Have a comment? Please e-mail us.

©The Voice 2008