Touring in the wake of the bands second studio release, “Ocean Eyes,” Owl City, the musical vehicle of Christian-emo rocker, Adam Young, blends bubblegum pop and electronica together to produce some of the blandest material in a struggling genre.
“Ocean Eyes,” is like a big jawbreaker, fun at first, but after awhile it starts to make your tongue bleed. The album opens with “Cave In,” a desperate attempt to catch the listener and draw them in for what is roughly a 53 minute disaster in musicianship.
Immediately after the first track fades, “The Bird and Worm” chimes in, sounding like a b-side to a Kidz Bop album as Young sings, “And we’ll enjoy picking albums in late September like we’ve done for years. Then, we’ll take a long walk through the cornfield and I’ll kiss you between the ears.”
There are only a few songs worth a detailed listen on “Ocean Eyes.” “Fireflies” and the previously recorded “The Saltwater Room” show glimpses of what could have been if Young would have chosen to produce music that appeals to an age group older than 12 and 13 year olds.
But don’t be so easily fooled, as soon as the good songs end, the bad ones come right back at you. When singing about a visit to the dentist on “Dental Care”, Young states, “Golf and alcohol don’t mix, and that’s why I don’t drink and drive. Because good grief, I’d know out my teeth and have to kiss my smile goodbye.” Sadly enough, lyrics like these plague most of the entire album as if Young truly believed that they were clever.
All in all, Owl City has been stirring up a lot of buzz in the music industry for some time, but unfortunately for Young and company he’s proven that all the commotion was more like a sugar rush than a true buzz, quick and to the point, then a disastrous crash after.
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