The Bottom Line Really, really, really bad alt-dance album. Get Garbage, Sleeper, or Elastica instead. You'd be a heck of a lot happier.
Full Review
There’s a time and place for pretty much every kind of music. Unfortunately for British alt-dance band Republica that time and place was about five years before they made their official debut with their self-titled 1996 album.
Distinctly drawing on the path laid out by 80’s pop-dance maestros like Pet Shop Boys, New Order, and even some of Human League the act managed to churn out one uber-popular track in their brief tenure atop the charts. To describe them aside from their clear early influences, imagine this. Republica is a snide, hip, dance, rock act that incorporates upbeat rhythms with catchy lyrics and rolls it all into one tightly (over) produced product.
And that is what I am convinced Republica was always meant to be. A product. Funny that considering the band top single only made it to #56 on the Billboard Hot 100. That’s right, a popular dance songs that never was particularly popular. So how does that reflect on the album on the whole? Not well at all.
Formed in London in 1995, Republica is (was?) officially a five-person project most notably fronted by Nigerian born vocalist Saffron (aka Samantha Sprackling). With the deft fingers of keyboardist Tim Dorney, production and keyboard “wizardry” of Andy Todd, guitar licks of Johnny Male, and beats from Dave Barborossa in place the lineup was complete. It took little time for the band to get signed and recorded because by mid-1996 their album was released by RCA.
But a meteoric rise to the apparent top of music does not make for a great act. Republica was never something special unfortunately. While I’ve mentioned their more classical influences above, it is in fact the bands links to more contemporary acts including Elastica, Sleeper, and Garbage that really sunk the band immediately. The difference between the success of those three and the failure of Republica is crystal clear. Elastica, Sleeper, and Garbage have talent. That much is clear. Republica never had much for creativity or talent. Just some darned spiffy arrangements and production values. And however you slice it, that isn’t enough to make for a good release.
For all intents and purposes, Republica is sad excuse for a one hit wonder. That honor is in fact due to their one hit, titled Ready To Go. Even though it never made waves of much of any chart I’m willing to bet that you (along with the rest of the breathing world) have heard the track. Is it great? Nope, but definitely good enough to have earned the attention it got. Concise, funky, and fun Ready To Go was a perfect club alt-dance track. You know the words, even if they’re nothing near lyrically adept.
It's a crack, I'm back yeah standing
On the rooftops shouting out,
Baby I'm ready to go
I'm back and ready to go
From the rooftops shout it out
It's a crack, I'm back yeah standing
On the rooftops having it
Baby I'm ready to go
I'm back and ready to go
From the rooftops shout it out, shout it out
Much to the chagrin of critics (myself included), Republica managed a second lesser single release. Though, Drop Dead Gorgeous was pretty much DOA—much like the album on the whole. Is it any worse a song? No, not really. It feels very much the club track, with the notable addition of guitars. If I can honestly say one good thing about Republica it is that that band has an interesting concept in blending the real elements with the computerized. Unfortunately, the songs just aren’t that good. The lyrics, the melodies, the beats, and everything just lacks the drive necessary to make for a hit single—the band’s clear goal.
Ready To Go is the single standout track on this debut. But I do also want to offer up brief kudos to Republica for the decent enough club track Bloke. But all in all, this album comes too little too late. Much of what the band records is annoying. The whinnying synths on tracks Out of the Darkness, Get Off, and Wrapp. And then again there is the mystifyingly pointless Picture Me. I suspect there is some intention with the bizarre stop followed by equally bizarre “chorus” but it really does escape me.
Republica would be best left ignored. The band did manage a second full-length release in the form of Speed Ballads (1998). But it never got US distribution. And while I cannot comment on the quality of that album, I can only assume that it is no better than this schlock and therefore too should be left untouched. Republica is the bastard sell-out brother of half a dozen really decent acts. Don’t look toward the band for anything but a bit of comic relief and one relatively memorable single.
Rating: 2/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Ready To Go [US Mix]
02. Bloke
03. B*tch
04. Get Off
05. Picture Me
06. Drop Dead Gorgeous
07. Out of the Darkness
08. Wrapp
09. Don’t You Ever
10. Holly
11. Ready To Go [Original Mix]
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