Love, a visit to the dentist and a meteor shower are just some of the topics explored on Owl City’s latest album, “Ocean Eyes.” Owl City is the solo project of Adam Young. Young, who started making music in his parents’ basement, recently signed with the Universal Republic record label. Owl City’s electro-pop sound gained fame through MySpace, and the band has two other albums, “Of June,” which features the hit “Hello Seattle” and the album “Maybe I’m Dreaming,” which boasts songs like “West Coast Friendship” and “The Saltwater Room.” Released in July, “Ocean Eyes” has the same happy vibe of “Maybe I’m Dreaming,” but it has a much more electronic sound. The opening song, “Cave In,” sets the tone for the entire album. It immediately opens with bass-pumping beats, electronic sounds and complex lyrics. “Cave In” talks about feeling stuck and needing to break free. But like all Owl City songs, the lyrics don’t explicitly say that. The song talks about school and textbooks before Young finally sings, “Get me out of this cavern, or I’ll cave in.” Songs like “Cave In” and “Meteor Shower” show a nice blend of special effects and natural sound, but in “Umbrella Beach,” a high-intensity electronic accompaniment overpowers Young’s vocals. But the album has a few less computerized songs than Owl City’s previous effort. “The Bird and the Worm” and a new version of “The Saltwater Room” have mainly acoustic accompaniments that lighten the intensity of the album. Young’s fanciful lyrics go perfectly with the computerized pop sound. While most of his songs deal with romance, love and friendship, each has its own twist. “Dental Care” talks about a trip to the dentist, but it is all about having a beautiful smile for a girlfriend. “Hello Seattle” is a love song about everything Young loves about Seattle, from its interstates to its lighthouses. One song that especially caught my ear was “Fireflies.” The bouncing sounds in the beginning sound like fireflies lighting up in the summer, and the song’s lyrics describe slowing down and how things are not always as they seem. The song’s tone is upbeat, but the lyrics are also thought-provoking, a welcome combination on this album. This new album is more polished than “Maybe I’m Dreaming,” and maybe that’s not such a good thing. It has lost some of the innocence of the first album and picked up a syrupy sweetness that makes it hard to listen to for long periods of time. Each song in the album is another layer of happiness. The electronic sounds continue to build, and the only hint of natural sound is usually Young’s vocals, when they’re not digitalized. The combination of the computerized sounds and similar song topics make for a slightly monotonous album. By the end, one might get a headache from how sickly sweet the songs are. Despite the slight monotony of the album, the songs are entertaining and fun to listen to. They provide a sweet escape from an impending English paper or Chemistry test, and a few songs strike a perfect balance between joy and thoughtfulness. Grade: 4+
