Review Summary: Not a dream but a terrible disaster.
For Adam Young, his first three records (
Maybe I’m Dreaming,
Ocean Eyes,
All Things Bright & Beautiful) fell relatively under the radar. Though both “Hello Seattle” and “Fireflies” received heavy airplay,
Dreaming and
Beautiful went largely unnoticed, and the young singer/songwriter was left unsure of a direction to take. He could continue on with his obscure blend of dance and acoustic-oriented indie, or he could opt to change his sound. On
The Midsummer Station, Young decided to take a more pop-oriented direction, with mixed results. Though it got him the attention and radio airplay a song like “Fireflies” proved he could indeed earn,
Station left many of his die-hard fans feeling abandoned.
Love him or hate him, Young has never been a stranger to getting strong guest artists that will add positive elements to his music. On past records, he contributed with everyone from Matthew Theissen (of pop-punkers Relient K) to rapper Shawn Crystopher to fellow indie popper Lights. This time around, guest vocalist Carly Rae Jepsen is largely to thank for the media’s newfound fixation on OC, as “Good Time” still earns much radio airplay today. Jepsen’s appearance on the record is evident on the change, because Young no longer sounds like the shy, insecure teenager he did on a track like “Vanilla Sky” or “Rainbow Veins”. Instead, Adam’s confident delivery fits with the party theme that much of this record carries, the whole is extremely upbeat and built on catchy, autotuned choruses that are sure to get even the most critical party-goer dancing. Does Owl City sound like a sell-out with this? Well, that depends on your opinion, but the poppier direction is definitely strange, especially after the organic, warm
All Things Bright And Beautiful. Young still has a fairly high-pitched voice, though it sounds strong and matured, the most mature Young had sounded his whole career. The fun, bouncy synth that his sound is built upon is still present as well, with the occasional organic guitar work. Speaking of guitar, Mark Hoppus (guitarist & vocalist of Blink-182 and +44) lends some distorted power chords and grittier vocals on “Dementia”, which is a new touch for Young, as up to this point, he had never included an edgy pop rock track.
Speaking of standouts, this album is not one of Young’s strongest. Though “Dementia” is instantly memorable due largely to Hoppus’ vocals and guitar work, most of the album is easily forgettable right after you hear it. At this point, everybody knows the always catchy “Good Time” and though it isn’t a bad song in itself, the oversaturation of it on every pop radio station out there has made a once “guilty pleasure” stale. The intro to “Speed of Love” is thankfully reminiscent of the creative synth parts found on
Ocean Eyes, but the rest of the track lacks any substance. With its slightly somber and reserved tone, the personal “Embers” also reaches back to classic Owl City, and wouldn’t sound out of place on
Bright and Beautiful, especially the vocal melodies. “Silhouette” sounds slightly similar to “Lonely Lullaby” or “Vanilla Sky” from OE due to its emphasis on a quieter vocal performance and piano-playing. These two tracks best fit for die-hard Owl City fans and are the most fitting on an Owl City record.
Young is the creative force behind all of Owl City, and he doesn’t necessarily sound bad the entire record. However, the poppier direction, IMO, doesn’t work for Owl City. For example, Young relied too much on autotune for
The Midsummer Station, as he never needed it to sound talented on ATBAB, OE, or MID. Also, most of the tracks this record (even “Embers” and “Silhouette”) are extremely forgettable and lack replay value and substance. The album does have a samey feel, something that past records from Owl City didn’t quite carry due to a more creative direction. But, that doesn’t begin to cover the lyrics.
Yes, lyrically, Young did sound extremely starry-eyed on past releases. However, he was always earnest, no matter how cryptic or gushy he sounded. This time around, that penchant for cleverly annoying wordplay is primarily absent. Though the comparison of love to a high-speed chase on “I’m Coming After You” reaches back to “Deer In The Headlights”, the chorus repeated ad nauseum in a song like “Good Time” and the unnecessary children backup vocals that also plague that track drag the album down lyrically. Thankfully, the palpable earnest feel returns in “Embers” and “Silhouette”, as both talk of dealing with personal struggles like insecurity. Otherwise, the album carries standard pop lyrics, though to Young’s credit, it’s totally clean.
After the successful
Ocean Eyes and the proficient follow-up, this came as a shock to many dedicated Owl City fans who were hanging on for another great disc. “Good Time” was like the quiet before the storm, the warning that hell was about to be unleashed. If you must, purchase the mentioned tracks only, but skip the album as a whole.
