Owl City - Ocean Eyes
Record Label: Universal/Republic
Release Date: July 28th, 2009
Throughout his life, Adam Young has been privy to spells of insomnia, Midwestern isolation, and a desire to create. Add a recording studio and web-based music distribution to the mix and you have Owl City. On their major label debut, Ocean Eyes, listeners will find the same catchy electro-pop beats with crooning vocals found in previous efforts Of June and Maybe I'm Dreaming.
Moog-esque synth introduces "Cave In," a representative anthem of Young's home studio experiences, which transpires into a sweeping-in of melody and rhythm, only to be perfected by a Ben Gibbard style of lyrical delivery. Elated lyrics loaded with wit and sensitivity match the upbeat tone of the record as shown in "The Bird and The Worm" ("With friends like these / well who needs anemones") and "Tidal Wave" ("All my life I wish I broke mirrors instead of promises / 'Cause all I see is a shattered conscience staring right back at me"). The oceanic theme carries throughout the album but is interrupted by odd numbers like "Dental Care" and the loosely tied "Hello Seattle," which are only bound by the tight parameters of the album's sonic appeal.
The world was provided an introduction to Owl City's sound through MySpace in 2007. Two years and 35 million plays later, Ocean Eyes reflects the growth in fan base and artistic experimentation while sweetly enchanting the listener's mind. Nimble instrumentation ignites an effervescent element in any listener's outlook. Young's melodies and lyrics embrace the danceable rhythm and construct radiant imagery in the most infectious of ways. This album may be marketed toward younger listeners, but can easily become a guilty pleasure for the music connoisseur.
The lyrics should definitely be lower. It's a damn catchy album though. I want to not like it, but I find myself listening to it every once in a while.
The lyrics are great, I don't know what everyone is complaining about. To me, the lyrics are what set Owl City apart from some of the crap you hear in this genre. I don't see a HUGE difference between lyrical quality in this and previous releases.
Solid review, I agree with the score, I think now after alot of listens this is slightly better then 'maybe I'm dreaming', I think this guy is very polarizing though, alot of people think his music is downright cheesy but for me he just has a great imagination and expresses it really well.
8.25 on the lyrics? No thanks. Gross exaggeration.
This album is worth about 65%, no higher.
i'm standing behind the 8.25 on the lyrics and the 81% overall. This is a D.I.Y. album, from start to finish. For the most part,the lyrics provide noteworthy symbolism, clever anecdotes, and sing-along choruses. Not many groups have that capacity, nor the vocabulary, so I gave it the thumbs up.
and as for dental care, the song is catchy, but as cheesy as they come. It's the kind of song your disney-fan mom would put on a mixtape.
i'm standing behind the 8.25 on the lyrics and the 81% overall. This is a D.I.Y. album, from start to finish. For the most part,the lyrics provide noteworthy symbolism, clever anecdotes, and sing-along choruses. Not many groups have that capacity, nor the vocabulary, so I gave it the thumbs up.
and as for dental care, the song is catchy, but as cheesy as they come. It's the kind of song your disney-fan mom would put on a mixtape.
Yeah, on a mixtape for you when you were 4.
Sorry. Raffi may have been good then, but I don't listen to him anymore. Owl Eyes are up the same road.
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