The group, consisting of lead vocalist Ryan Tedder, Zach Filkins, Eddie Fisher, Brent Kutzle, and Drew Brown, has been active in the entertainment industry since 2004. Some fans might have encountered their music on an episode of Bones or on Paul Oakenfold's sophomore album. Many, however, recognize the group by its association with Timbaland's remix "Apologize feat. OneRepublic." While the song climbed charts in countries as diverse as Germany and Ireland, Tedder and the rest got to down to business with producer Greg Wells. Several months and number one hits later, OneRepublic unveils its debut album Dreaming Out Loud, which gives a voice to the band's journey so far. With the careers of a thousand "one-hit wonders" looming in the background (Daniel Powter, are you out there?), their past success now emerges into a challenge to provide something meaningful and lasting in the musical community.

The album doesn't suffer from lack of ambience, however. "Say (All I Need)" is the rhythmic, otherworldly opening track. The breathy quality of the song reflects its lyrics: "All I need is the air I breathe, and a place to rest my head."

A spiritual theme permeates the album, surfacing in tracks like the powerful ballad "Prodigal" as well as in "Mercy" and "All Fall Down." If the titles aren't suggestive enough, the lyrics reveal traces of Tedder's deeply religious childhood: "Angel of mercy, how did you find me/ How did you pick me up again/ Angel of mercy, how did you move me/ Why am I on my feet again?"

"Won't Stop" and "Someone to Save Me" are the most upbeat songs of the album; the former was produced by Tedder and has an almost folksy feel to it. "Stop and Stare" also falls into this upbeat category, and was the group's second single.

Tedder's second brainchild is the piano ballad "Come Home." This "what a wonderful world" song, though lyrically innovative, has little interesting musical content, but as one of the closing songs of the album it works as a sort of bookend for the rest.

Timbaland's "Apologize" remix closes things up with a gesture that begs the question: "Did anything of the previous material meet this standard?" The answer is no; it met a different standard, one that the band will continue to define and refine as they go. But ultimately that's okay. The first sign of a one-hit wonder is repetitious songs that copy previous patterns of success. The first sign of artistry, however, is experimentation, originality and the courage to stay true to your own musical style. Dreaming Out Loud certainly stays true to theirs, and listeners will definitely appreciate the effort.

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