Based out of Toledo, OH five smalltown boys have been making some bigtime noise. This Beautiful Republic (TBR) has been winning over crowds for nearly five years now. With songs that reach the heart of the human experience with striking honesty and a stage show fueled by their passion for music, the five members are making their mark locally and beginning to gain the attention that they have worked so hard to earn. The band consists of Ben Olin (vocals), Adam Smith (guitars), Andy Smith (drums), Brandon Paxton (guitars) and Jeremy Kunkle (guitars). Approachable and even permeable, the only thing that their music may come in second to is their commitment to their fans! Always online, willing to sign an autograph, or pose for a picture, these guys truly believe that their fans are more important than the music or themselves. "Honestly, if we play for 3 people that are excited about the music and have a great time, we're really satisfied," explains Ben Olin, TBR's vocalist, "and I think that approach is what will help us connect with people and let them know that we're human beings that happen to strap on guitars and dance around."

April 3rd will see the release of a phenomenal album, “Even Heroes Need A Parachute”. Being released through Forefront Records, this eleven-track album debut album by the band will surely be a milestone in their career and set a fairly high expectation for future records.

With influences ranging from Coldplay to Underoath, to Fall Out Boy, TBR has a sound that is youthful, vivacious, and dynamic. With three guitarists, one might think that the guitars would overpower the listener and over saturate the music. In this instance it is actually quite the opposite. I find that the band does an exceptional job at combining the best elements from the guitars, drums and the vocals. Searing guitar work and raw, plaintive vocals pouring from the heart of a Christian, their charismatic lead singer Ben does an amazing job at holding his own with the vocals. His voice is extremely powerful and soars above and beyond whatever is going on musically in the background. At times he sounds comparable to vocalist Christian Lindskog from Blindside and Matt MacDonald from Seattle’s own The Classic Crime. “Even Heroes Need A Parachute” has an excellent flow to the album that can be thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. Tracks like ‘Black Box’, ‘Going Under’ and ‘Something To Deny’ carry a positive energetic feel to them with killer vocal harmonies that simply blow me away. There are the slower, emotional and beautifully arranged tracks like ‘Jesus To The World’, ‘New Year’, ‘Cloud Cover’ and ‘Let’s Be Honest’ that will replay themselves over and over in your head and have you singing along amiably.

This album is simply a masterpiece. From beginning to end it just rocks! This young band has the chemistry and drive to make it big. On the brink of their first major label release, TBR stands poised to become one of the premier rock bands in music today.

Rating: 5/5