Owl City has been setting the web on fire. Adam Young, sole musician of Owl City seems to have successfully appealed to the MySpace world. Comparisons to The Postal Service are everywhere (In fact, I first heard about Owl City when one friend asked another friend to ‘play those songs that sound like new postal service.’) The Postal Service electronica beats are certainly here, but Owl city’s “ocean eyes” album may have a bit more pop than the slightly more indie songs on “Give up.” Ocean eyes is heavy on the synth, the electro sounds, and the ready-made-for-public-consumption bubblegum pop beats.
I’m going to be honest, I’m not the biggest fan, but it is worth offering these beats to the slightly more pop inclined. I think half of these songs offer an addictive electronic beat, with songs whose tunes echo in my head long after I take my headphones out. The lyrics try to be reflective, but most of the times they are just words, falling short of poetry. This album might not be an artful masterpiece, but Adam Young has definitely positioned himself as an up and coming musician. Ocean eyes is best taken as a collection of poppy electronic songs to add a bounce to your step. If there’s one sentiment ringing through this album it’s optimism. Optimism: sounds like a recipe for airplay. Let’s hope the radios don’t over do it.
Owl City sort of symbolizes every kid’s dream of making your own music in your room and somehow making it onto a major label. On top of everything Owl City, or Adam Young, makes it seem a little too easy picking happy go lucky themes to lay on top of happy go lucky electronic music… It’s hard to credit the lyrics for being anything other than mediocre which is emphasized on tracks like “Dental Care” which is about, believe it or not, going to the dentist. On the opposite side though, “If My Heart Was A House” is a respectable love song probably melting the hearts of those who it eventually gets dedicated to. Much of this album is fit for the soundtracks of romantic comedies and so don’t be too shocked when tracks like “The Bird And The Worm” or “Vanilla Twilight” sneak into the mainstream silver screen – The Album Project
Throughout Ocean Eyes, Young sets his breathy croon over gentle laptop beats and goes on about romance, the joy of spying fireflies and how he gets nervous going to the dentist. Often, Young sounds like a cuter version of the Postal Service. Love songs like “On the Wing” — a ballad with a plush, twinkling electro beat where the singer lies awake dreaming of his beloved — are serious mush, like an amorous e-mail you’ll regret in the morning – Rolling Stone