It’s not hard to understand why This Beautiful Republic is a highly touted entry into the Christian music sweepstakes. This Ohio-rooted combo is capable of dreamy pop meditations, sweetly melodic praise numbers, and screaming angst-fests. On its second album Perceptions the band offers all of the above and more, resulting in a pleasing (if scattered) song collection. Frontman Ben Olin caresses the listener in the reverent “Beautifully Broken,” then shreds his larynx on the tormented “My God” before settling into a yearning mode on the string-accented “Change the World.” As songwriters and players, This Beautiful Republic are capable of tossing off nicely-tailored mainstream Christian tunes like “Learning to Fall” and “For the Life of Me.” They convincingly tap into a gushing emo vein on “Last Second Chance” and “No Turning Back” and sail along the shores of soft indie-rock on “A Point Between Extremes.” Olin’s struggle to keep his faith vital is a reoccurring theme — at times, he seems at the point of self-flagellation. “Say Goodnight,” a prayerful meditation on death, catches the band at its least bombastic. Though a bit diffuse overall, Perceptions testifies to TBR’s resolute faith as well as its eclectic musical impulses.