OneRepublic's debut album, featuring richly textured sonic layers and lyrics which are sometimes simplistically emo and sometimes moodily cryptic. It acts as a time capsule of the period, yet is also timelessly classic.

Listening when you want to lose yourself in big, nostalgic sounds and lyrics of love, loss, restoration and chasing dreams.

Mercy is a track that captured my imagination early on. It soars through quiet moments and walls of guitars, pianos and drums as Ryan's clear, crystal voice sings of being found at a low point. All Fall Down features an utterly irresistible cello hook and meditative, philosophical lyrics reminding us that we all make mistakes. Too Easy pares itself down to a single guitar, carrying the eerie feeling of wandering a graveyard in the autumn sunset. Sleep is intricately glitchy and deeply atmospheric, with implications of mental health awareness as Ryan pleads with someone to “keep the lights on” for him.

Make art pieces! From the lyrics to the cover art, everything about Dreaming Out Loud fills my head with mystical symbols, ideas and pictures. Whenever I see a tree silhouette alongside a crescent moon, I remember this album and smile.

Inspired, energized, piqued, and comfortable.

It's a record of how far OneRepublic has come since their early days, and it captures something of the band that no longer exists in the same way. Unsophisticated and heartfelt, running a gamut of emotions, it's worth at least a listen.

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Created Oct 05, 2025 at 9:04pm • Submit your own review...