Search - Republica :: Speed Ballads

Speedy And Alive

Anthony Morelli | Montreal, Canada | 05/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, like the title above says, the music is alive, and a lot more rock than their last masterpiece.
SpeedBallads is in a way, almost as good as the Band Garbage, if not equal. There is one song that stands out among the others on the cd. It is Luxury Cage. I think this song is the best song of all, and it seemed to draw me into the album since playing SpeedBallads.The former group's lead singer has this stunning voice, rich with the British accent and all. I am disappointed in the fact that the band split, but it doesn't stop me from liking their great music. The front cover of the cd is nice, but what is the singer's name? I can't find her name anywhere! Isn't that funny?
Both albums don't state the band members' full names.SpeedBallads is my new toy for a while, like all great music cds.
I have played Luxury cage so many times, that I think the neighbors are fed up of it, that's how good the song is!
I never knew any song which had the lyrics "future you, future me" in it. When I first heard Republica, I thought of the band as rebellious and cheap, but now I think of the material they made on their cds satisfyingly entertaining. I strongly urge you to buy SpeedBallads. I don't think you will be disappointed. Hope my review helped."

Not quite as good as their first, but still a killer album

Stephen Kohoutek | Plymouth, MN United States | 02/16/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"You can't really say that Republica is the best band you've never heard, because "Ready To Go" is one of those songs that everyone knows but can't name the performer. Rather, Republica is possibly the best band that the American mainstream flirted with but backed away from.



Their first album was wall-to-wall bombast, sort of a cross between Back to the Heavyweight and Blondie. This one slows down the tempo and slightly de-technofies the sound, but keeps every bit of crunchy huge-ness from the debut. At first blush, it doesn't even sound like the same band; their rock leanings come through more clearly than before. This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing. It kind of sounds like Garbage turned up to eleven like the Spinal Tap amps.



Saffron's lyrics are interesting if not particularly insightful. A strong theme in her songs is the middle class-dweller who wants to be more, the desk worker who hits the club on the weekend and pretends to be a heavy hitter. Her singing isn't going to win any Grammys, but the emotion and power she puts into her voice captivates.



The drums and guitar work are stellar; play this on as good a stereo as you can find. This'll be in heavy rotation in my car once the upper midwest winter is vanquished and my sunroof and windows open."