Republic
Pop, 2012
Owl City is back with the synthesizers and other blink-blink electronic sound machines, but The Midsummer Station sees him moving into a even more commercial pop direction than before. Collaborations with Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and the ubiquitous Stargate make sure of this.
The problem here is that I don’t listen to Owl City for songs that sound like cheap S Club 7 rip-offs. I want silly whimsical tunes that make me feel stupidly happy. Therefore, no matter how many times he assures me that I am brighter than a shooting star and I am going to have a good time all time, I can only think he’s not very good at channeling S Club 7 and Steps at all. The production values ensure that every track sounds the same, layered by Mr Owl City’s monotonous and bland vocals.
I don’t mind if Owl City wants to become a more mainstream pop act, but at least be good at it, sheesh. The Midsummer Station is polished and slick, but it’s all about the monotonous and repetitive beats and irritating paper-thin vocals, minus the fun and whimsy that used to make him so nice to listen to. If this is the route this fellow insists on taking in the future, maybe some singing lessons are in order.
