Owl City’s third album, “The Midsummer Station,” consists of eleven catchy electronic pop songs featuring famous guest artists such as Carly Rae Jepsen and Mark Hoppus. Branching out musically, Adam Young consulted outside co-writers and producers to help create a new unique style. The “Midsummer Station” does not equal an instant classic but prevails as enjoyable, radio friendly music.
“The Midsummer Station” maintains an upbeat light-heartedness throughout the album. With fast paced synth and Young’s graceful vocals, the songs maintain a sanguine happy tone. Drawing influence from techno and European dance music, the electronic was utilized to sound fresh, fun and inventive. Young shows adept skill by blending computer-generated sounds to compose fluid and energetic tracks. While adding his own whimsical style through lyrics and vocals.
Owl City expands to more accessible audiences with simple but relatable lyrics. Writing from personal experiences, “The Midsummer Station” has cohesive flow with positive and honest messages. The track “Embers” Young sings of the harshness of life and how it eventually passes with an overlying message to always look toward the light. “Dreams and Disasters” acknowledges the perspective as a realist of positive and negative experiences characterizing life. The guitar driven “Dementia” deals with paranoia and jealousy within relationships.
Many people might dismiss “The Midsummer Station” as shallow generic electronic pop music, but for purely entertainment purposes it succeeds. The lyrics are not intended for deep analysis, but to sing along with.
