I’ve been hooked up on a lot of things lately – music has been a refuge for me, so it’s kinda understandable that I’m always playing something in the back of my head. I also dream of living in a musical, so there’s that.

But there’s one album that keeps creeping up on me while I try to work, or meditate, or, you know, just breathe.

OneRepublic‘s Native is their best effort so far, and that’s easy to see if you check how many times I’ve hit play and not skip while listening to their stuff.

The album has spawned a few hits so far, and everyone knows the oh-so radio friendly Counting Stars and even Burning Bridges, but there’s so much to this album than what meets the ear.

Counting Stars is dependable, for lack of a better word, but it’s poppy and dancey, and that can never be a bad thing, right? It’s full of energy, but it doesn’t have that urban sound that Tedder strives to achieve most of the time. It’s just a safe song, and I can live with that. (7.5/10)

If I Lose Myself is deep, deeper than expected from the second song of this album. It starts soft, but in just few seconds it builds up to so much more. The song incorporates the urban sound that Ryan Tedder loves so very much, and it feels like home for OneRepublic. This song smells like summer, and that’s never a bad thing. (9.5/10)

Feel Again is such a pop anthem, it hurts. In a good way. I could use it to pump up the energy while hitting the gym, and I love it for that build up that can be heard while playing the chorus. (8/10)

What You Wanted is a beautiful ballad, filled with feelings, because… Love. I just feel safe, at peace whenever I hear this song, and they lyrics are pure poetry for us people looking for meaning and love. (9/10)

I Lived is the best song for declaring mistakes. How can you not love it?! So full of energy and belief, this song opens the eyes and brightens the day, and I just love it. (10/10)

Light It Up makes you witness a little switch – from the pop anthem to the sexy pop anthem. Charged with electricity, this song uses the bass line more, and that means only one thing: sex! Too bad the sexiness is short lived… (8/10)

Can’t Stop is just a cry for something (or someone) you lost. It’s sad, and selfish, just how I like my songs. It’s a plea, a bargain, a quest – something that never ends well. But Tedder’s vocals on this one send me goose bumps and chills, so the song rises through his voice. (9/10)

Au Revoir feels a little misplaced on this album, with all the violins and the strings, with all that peace that emerges through its words and sounds. The beginning of the song states perfectly the mood that it induces me… „Today I’m not myself”. (8/10)

Burning Bridges is, by far, my favorite song off Native. I love the hopeful sound it has, and the urban beat that can be heard throughout the song. Ryan Tedder never sounded this good. (10/10)

Something I Need gives me the impression that Ryan Tedder is an addict, and he likes his addiction very much, thank you. This song is playful and fun, and hopeful, and lustful, and that’s kinda awesome, don’t you think? (9.5/10)

Preacher is, again, one of the songs that don’t feel like a part of this album. But somehow, this song fits perfectly. The story is great, the first time I listened to it made me cry, and I never had a grandpa. Maybe I should have had one… (10/10)

Don’t Look Down is, by far, the most forgettable song of the album. Whenever I get to listen to it, I’m always amazed by how little I know this song. I couldn’t rate it, if I wanted to. (?/10)

Something’s Gotta Give is the urbanest of the urbanest from this album. It’s a weird song, that seems to drag on too long, it never feels like home, but somehow, I never push skip whenever this one hits my earphones. (10/10)

Life in Color starts out like a Christmas song, so cheery and colorful (see the pun? please laugh at my pun!), and it just fills me with joy and happiness. (9/10)

All in all, this album is awesome. I never want to push skip, I only want to listen to it while walking around the town. Now, since the weather allows me to…

Tracklist: 0:00 Counting Stars 4:16 If I Lose Myself 8:24 Feel Again (With Heartbeats) 11:27 What You Wanted 15:26 I Lived 19:19 Light It Up 23:29 Can’t Stop 27:39 Au Revoir 32:30 Burning Bridges 36:48 Something I Need 40:49 Preacher 44:55 Don’t Look Down 46:37 Something’s Gotta Give 51:28 Life in Color 54:51 If I Lose Myself (Acoustic) 58:42 What You Wanted (Acoustic) 1:02:05 Burning Bridges (Acoustic)