Artist:  OneRepublic

Title:  Waking Up

Label:  Mosley Music/Interscope Records

One step forward musically, two steps back lyrically ...

As OneRepublic became the No. 1 unsigned act on MySpace in 2006 and then exploded into bona fide rock star orbit a year later, thousands of fans noticed spiritual overtones and hints of faith in the band's songwriting.

While band members openly expressed their beliefs in their album's liner notes and the occasional interview, the lyrics on the band's breakout debut, Dreaming Out Loud, were both hopeful and clearly open for interpretation. Fans in the know marveled as OneRepublic saw its songs, "Apologize" and "Stop and Stare" become two of the biggest hits in recent memory. Along the way, vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/producer Ryan Tedder—personally mentored by Timbaland—became a prolific producer and songwriter making valuable contributions to Natasha Bedingfield, Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis and Rihanna, among others.

With this table set, OneRepublic foreshadowed the release of its highly anticipated sophomore album, Waking Up, by servicing its advance single, "All the Right Moves," to radio in September. Wrong move. Though a decent, textured pop-rock song, the surprising selection not only pales in comparison to the band's previous hits, "All the Right Moves" is notably inferior to much of its company on the new album. Hoping to rebound, OneRepublic's label has quickly followed with the standout "Good Life." Propelled by a prominent and ubiquitous rhythm track, ethereal support vocals, and acoustic guitar cameos, "Good Life" is deceptively seductive. You almost don't even notice when Tedder repeats the "bullsh---" expletive ... almost.

On the whole, Waking Up displays significant musical growth by OneRepublic. The 11-song album is notably more sophisticated and unpredictable in its instrumentation and arrangements than its predecessor. Thanks to Tedder's love for and subtle incorporation of R&B, hip-hop, funk, reggae and indie rock elements in the album's production, OneRepublic further distances itself from other piano-loving bands ranging from The Fray to Coldplay. Tedder's tenor voice, meanwhile, absolutely shines. When guitarist Zach Filkins dares to take the title track into grandiose territory by channeling The Edge, Tedder is not only with him every step of the way, he skies. It's a perfect fit on this pure pop album boasting big hooks and memorable melodies.

Unfortunately, with few exceptions, Waking Up's lyrics don't reflect a similar jump in creativity and thoughtfulness. Thematically, this album is even more safe and ambiguous than Dreaming Out Loud. When Tedder sings, "Sick of all the insincere/So I'm gonna give all my secrets away" and "Just don't let me disappear/I'mma tell you everything" in the cello-driven anthem "Secrets," you know one thing for sure:  He's not singing about himself.

**This review first published on November 24, 2009.