Adam Young (Owl City) has been making music since 2007 by that name. He started out in his parent’s basement and uploading his music onto Myspace (remember that? You don’t? Aww…) and it became a hit! Garnering millions of plays, he was eventually signed to Republic Records in 2008 (1). Ocean Eyes was the title of his major album, which is really great in my opinion. It’s the one that got me hooked to Adam’s sound. Think of electronic pop meats poetic, thoughtful and realistic lyrics. Imagine taking a dive into Adam’s mind with wonderful rhythms, flashing lights and colors all around.
Adam Young
Now, to give you the skinny on his new EP, Ultraviolet (which is the first of several EP’s coming soon), it’s a step in the right direction. The fact that Adam is a Christian has always been a positive for myself because I have the assurance that the spirit in the music isn’t one of depression, hate or any other self-destructive emotion. The first song that hits you is “Beautiful Times“, the single that features Lindsey Stirling (another amazing artist!) and some catchy tunes. The lyrics display someone who is going through a personal struggle, but they are trusting to have the strength to get through it all regardless of the circumstances.
“Beautiful Times”
(feat. Lindsey Stirling)
I fought all through the night
Oh, oh, but I made it alive
The sun’s starting to rise
Oh, oh, these are beautiful times
This fight of my life is so hard, so hard, so hard
But I’m gonna survive
Oh, oh, these are beautiful times
The video is one of my favorite’s of Owl City. The wonder and imagination of the child reminds me of when I was a child in my own room, looking at the world around me in new ways. It takes you back to those innocent times where life seemed so much simpler and interesting.
Right after you get blown away by that one, you have “Up All Night”. This one is my favorite, even more so than Beautiful Times in regards to sound (I enjoy the lyrics of Beautiful Times more). I think he’s talking about a dream where he was with someone he loved, and now he’s going to be up all night because he realized it was a dream and that person is gone.
“Up All Night”
I cried and the tears fell from my eyes
Like a waterfall
And I swear I could feel you in my arms
But there was no one there at all
You were my clarity, I swear
Alone in a daydream
Yeah there was magic in the air
And you were right here beside me
Held down like an angel with no wings
I wanna fly again
I just can’t get you off my mind
And now I’m gonna be up all night
Woah oh oh oh
The last two songs are “This Isn’t The End” and “Wolf Bite”. The first one is a story about a lonely girl whose father commits suicide and leaves his family behind, even though he said he was “ok”. It’s actually very sad, but I love that Adam shows us hope in the midst of pain and emptiness. At the end you see the power of forgiveness, and you can even hear it in the upbeat of the song around the end. It makes you want to smile and cry at the same time. I feel refreshed after hearing it.
“This Isn’t The End”
Her dad was a good guy that everyone liked
But nobody knew he was dying inside
He promised his family he’d be alright
And then with a gunshot he left them behind
When the rain falls down
When it all turns around
When the light goes out
This isn’t the end
When the rain falls down
When it all turns around
When the light goes out
This isn’t the end, no.
The role of a father he never deserved
He abandoned his daughter and never returned
And over the years though the pain was real
She finally forgave him and started to heal
Wolf Bite is extremely catchy, and sounds similar to any pop-club track but if you listen to his lyrics, Adam is showing us how to be guided by God before we get distracted and tricked into falling for satan’s trap. The verse he’s referring to is Matthew 7:15 where Jesus warns us of falling for a wolf in sheep’s clothing (someone acting nice or helpful, when in reality they just want you to do what they want for their own benefit). Great track that you catch yourself singing to whenever it’s on, but remember to stay away from the Wolf Bite!.
“Wolf Bite”
Will you show me the way, tonight?
Will you show me the way, tonight?
It’s another nightmare
I swear there’s something out there
So save me cause I’m so scared
Will you show me the way?
It’s another werewolf
All dressed up in sheep’s wool
And changing when the moon’s full
Will you show me the way?
Pick this one up here! If you’ve never heard of Owl City, it’s just some great geeky music that has a positive message.
What’s your favorite Owl City album and why? How did you find Adam’s music? Have you seen him live (I haven’t)? How was the performance, and should I go out of my way to attend one of his shows? God bless!
Sources:
I give this 10 thumbs sidways out of 10 sideways thumbs.
I was VERY pleased with the quality of this after the dreaded MidS Station
Same here, I wasn’t too impressed with Mid Summer Station either, didn’t like the “pop” kind of sound he went with. Stick with what works, and make like a dozen Ocean Eyes style albums 🙂
So I’m not the only one who thought Wolf Bite sounded Christian 🙂
It’s my favorite song on the album. As soon as I heard the preview on iTunes, it was like, this one is a must buy.
I love this EP, so many good messages.
I only own one of Owl City album, and a couple stand-alone songs. But he remains one of my favorite artists for how uplifting his music is–I like me some sad songs, but Owl City is my happy music.
Hey thanks Collie for the comment, yeah I took me a while to notice that Wolf Bite was a Christian song, had to read the lyrics to make sure 🙂
His new EP is awesome, and he says he’s coming out with another one soon so….it’s “good times” for us Owl City fans. Owl City is definitely some feel good happy music.
Do you have Ocean Eyes, because that’s like his “flagship” album. If you do….then check out Mid Summer that’s another good one.