Ocean Eyes

by

Owl City

(Republic)

Listener Appeal: Teens

Genre: Electro-Pop

With all the hype Owl City has been getting recently, I was hesitant to give them a listen. After all, no band can really live up to its press clippings. But eventually I got Ocean Eyes to see what I had been missing.

Adam Young, the sole member of Owl City, started recording music in his basement one weekend while his parents were out of town and he could be as loud as he wanted. Since then, he’s gained tens of millions listens on MySpace, released another EP, and has finally released this full length album.

The first thing I noticed about this album is that it is very catchy. The lyrics are usually pretty easy to follow and clever, and the music was very upbeat and made you want to keep listening just to see what was coming next.

One of the highlight songs on this CD is the single “Hello Seattle.” This ode to the northwest and all that Seattle represents is very poppy and has a memorable melody and has a fun electronic beat. Another song that has gained popularity is “Fireflies.” This song is about staying up late and seeing fireflies fly about and seeing the beauty that they produce. One thing that is fun about Owl City is the creative lyrics. These often are reminiscent of creative lyrics often found on Relient K albums.

The biggest problem I had with Ocean Eyes was the repetitive nature of it. Almost every song has a very similar sound. On several songs, the beat is even indistinguishable from others, and the vocal lines always have the same kind of cadence and diction. Even on the slower songs, it just sounds like it was a fast song that was slowed down just for the sake of having a slow song.

There is nothing really inappropriate on this CD. It is mostly about love, life, and in the one instance Seattle.

In the end, I didn’t love this CD, but I didn’t hate it. It is the kind of CD I’d throw on for one or two songs in the shuffle mix, but I would probably not listen to the whole CD from start to end very often.

FAMILYFANS RATING: B-

AFTER THE MUSIC

If your family members are interested in this album, you can encourage discussion about it. Use these questions to help you get started:

•What kind of things do you think about when you’re up at night (whether or not you’re kept awake by the light of the fireflies)?

• What kind of things would Owl City sing about if there was a song about your state?

--TN

Note: All CD covers and related graphics in this column are standard publicity/promotional shots and are owned by their respective record companies. 

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