Reviewed by Tony Cummings

It seems only yesterday that OneRepublic became, like Fray, a band whose songs seemingly popped up on every American TV drama series. Now, after the monumental "Stop And Stare" hit comes another set of songs to prove that Ryan Tedder and co have lost none of their Midas touch with stay-in-the-mind song hooks and production that brings out all the power and pathos of Ryan's deceptively haunting voice. Nearly every track works here from the appealing pop of "Made For You" with its memorable piano figure and captivating drum intro through to "Everybody Loves Me" which blends a bit of funk into the pop aesthetic. Unusually for a pop rock album 'Waking Up' keeps some of its best moments until near the end. The title track has a ringing guitar track which would do credit to The Edge, while the chorus surges in such a way that you can almost see the lighters illuminating a stadium performance, when the song suddenly cuts into an orchestral piece it somehow works beautifully. Critics will never like such an avowedly accessible band but for those who enjoy inspiring pop and rock this is about as good as it gets.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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