OneRepublic, “Dreaming Out Loud”
(Mosley/Interscope)
If the touchy-feely title of this L.A. quintet’s debut makes you cringe, stay away: It’s indicative of the earnest pop-rock within.
Of course, millions have already discovered OneRepublic’s single “Apologize,” thanks in part to Timbaland’s “Shock Value” remix. OneRepublic’s debut vaguely mirrors it, spreading breathy vocals over processed beats, swelling strings and melodies so sugary you can feel your teeth rotting — just trade Tim’s R&B punch for Coldplayesque treacle.
The album version of “Apologize” has broken records on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and it’s easy to see why. Its minor key, emotional inflection invokes a certain woe-is-me romanticism. Singer-pianist Ryan Tedder and guitarist Zach Filkins, formerly of Colorado Springs, craft fairly compelling songs. It’s just that they’d sound better performed with some — or any — melodramatic restraint. John Wenzel
Celine Dion, “Taking Chances”
(Columbia)
Taking chances. Really?
Umm, hardly. Dion truly taking a chance would involve her cutting a glam record and touring it in drag. This “Taking Chances” is Dion slightly repackaged. Does it rock harder than her previous work? A little, yes. And the production is slightly more progressive than the rest of her catalog, although that’s not saying much.
Once you get past the creepy cover picture — the big hair and dark eye shading makes Dion look even more skeletal — and the coupon peddling her new perfume, you’re left with Dion’s first studio full length since 2003. Some of the songwriters and producers Dion collaborates with are Linda Perry, Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and Ben Moody (ex-Evanescence).
The production is expectedly ham-handed, and while the new direction is a slight veer from her previous course, it’s still obvious. “Surprise Surprise” sounds like an FM-ready Kelly Clarkson ballad, and “Eyes on Me” lazily lifts much of its Indian-influenced production from Beyonce’s “Baby Boy.”
Dion attempts to rock out in “That’s Just the Woman in Me,” but she can’t help but lace each song with her inner pop diva — and while her fans will love her unbridled wail, that just doesn’t fly in rock ‘n’ roll. Ricardo Baca
Goo Goo Dolls, “Greatest Hits Vol. 1: The Singles”
(Warner Bros.)
It’s taken the Goo Goo Dolls an awful long time to release its first greatest-hits disc, but the timing makes sense — just before the holidays, and during lead singer Johnny Rzeznik’s judge spot on Fox’s “The Next Great American Band.”
The selection here represents the Buffalo, N.Y., trio’s work from the last 10 of its 21 years, ignoring its early days when it sounded more like the Replacements than the slick radio products they are now.
Fan or no, you’ve probably heard the majority of these songs dozens of times, making this collection feel recycled, save for a middling remix of “Feel the Silence.” Diehards should wait until next year for Volume 2, which will feature new material, covers, B-sides and other rarities. John Wenzel
