Детали релиза : OneRepublic - Artificial Paradise (Deluxe) (2024) [FLAC (tracks)]

ALBUM REVIEW

Featuring singles released into the wild as far back as 2021, Artificial Paradise collects moments and snapshots that Ryan Tedder and his OneRepublic crew have been writing around the world from as early as 2016, orbiting a loose central idea of constructed realities that reflect the real world we live in. Conceptual shoehorn aside, these are paint-by-numbers OneRepublic anthems, for better or worse. Much like their last album, 2021's Human, Artificial Paradise feels like an algorithm's idea of what OneRepublic should sound like in order to achieve maximal playlisting power. Which is pretty much what this album feels like: a playlist. That doesn't mean it's terrible; it's just not adding much to the equation. Nevertheless, hits are hits, and this is packed with them (especially the deluxe version, which includes singles that were each streamed over a hundred million times, such as the David Guetta collaboration "I Don't Wanna Wait," which interpolates O-Zone's early-aughts viral hit "Numa Numa"). The monstrous smash "West Coast" bounces and bobs on a funky bassline and a rousing backing chorus, cruising down the freeway on a breezy summer day; the lighthearted whistle-pop earworm "I Ain't Worried" is another showcase for Tedder's effortless songwriting skills (also aided by its inclusion on the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack); the synth-and-Auto-Tune "RUNAWAY" propels into space like Bruno Mars jumping into a glittery rocket ship; and "Sunshine" provides a classic OneRepublic-via-Fitz and the Tantrums singalong moment that is too feel-good to deny. Those four songs alone had a combined 2.5 billion (with a "b") streams at the time of this album's release. Lesser hits from an Assassin's Creed video game, the anime Kaiju No. 8, and the official UEFA EURO 2024 anthem round out the global smash hits. Elsewhere, of the previously unreleased tracks (which account for only half of the album's runtime), the cinematic opening title track, the acoustic-guitar-and-handclaps "Last Holiday" and the twinkling instrumental interlude "Singapore" add surprising heart and restraint to the assault of electro-tinged pop goodies. Tedder knows what he's doing and, like contemporary output by Imagine Dragons and Coldplay, can pump out crowd-pleasing optimism as if he was on autopilot…for better or worse.

© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo