Summertime fare a bit of guilty pleasure
Adam Young credits his faith in catchy pop album
I try hard not to label any of the music I listen to as a “guilty pleasure." If I legitimately like it and it moves me, why should I feel guilty about listening to it?
But the next time I'm hanging out with my friends and we're talking about music, I'm much more likely to steer the conversation toward the recent U2 concert I attended as opposed to the album I've been listening to a lot lately - All Things Bright and Beautiful, the new disc by Owl City.
I'm not precisely sure why I feel so conflicted about the music of Owl City, an American electronic/synthpop music project masterminded by Adam Young.
On the one hand, he writes smart, fun, catchy pop songs.
On the other hand, the music's overproduced at times, appeals predominately to teenaged girls and is more than a little derivative of The Postal Service, the electronic indie pop band who spawned the 2003 hit single “Such Great Heights."
Owl City's story is fascinating. Young, who will turn 25 on July 5, suffered from insomnia while working loading Coca-Cola trucks in his hometown of Owatonna, Minnesota.
When he couldn't sleep, he turned to composing music in his parents' basement. He released an EP (2007's Of June) and a full-length (2008's Maybe I'm Dreaming) before signing a major label record deal with Universal Republic.
Via the label, Young released his second full-length, Ocean Eyes,/i>, in 2009. On the strength of the hit song “Fireflies," which charted all over the world, Ocean Eyes became a sleeper hit and has gone on to sell a million copies.
At the same time, Young caught the attention of the Christian press because of his devout faith. HM magazine even listed Ocean Eyes at number 35 on its recent list of the top 100 Christian rock albums of all time.
“Faith is the reason I do what I do [and] imagination is the fuel that keeps the creativity flowing," Young told Christianity Today last year. “The Lord Jesus Christ is my reason for creating and I have nothing but thanks and gratitude toward Him for being allowed to do what I do, and ultimately, seize my wildest dreams as if they were just there waiting for me."
Later in the interview, he added: “I guess my whole message or goal of this whole operation is to bring glory to Jesus Christ by all that I do and say, not just as it relates to Owl City, but in all areas of my life."
Released on June 14, the songs on All Things Bright and Beautiful don't stray far from the sound that made Owl City a success.
It's a hard album to resist - it has a perfect summertime feel to it, and as we head into summer, it's easy to hear how it could make a great soundtrack for heading out to the beach or cabin.
Young's faith is most explicitly displayed in the lyrics for “Galaxies." Over a thumping drum beat and rich synth lines, he sings, “Dear God, I was terribly lost / When the galaxies crossed / And the Sun went dark / Dear God, You're the only North Star / I would follow this far ... For He is the saving grace of the galaxies / He is the saving grace of the galaxies."
The best songs, however, are “Deer in the Headlights," an energetic song about love at first sight; “The Honey and the Bee," one of the only tracks to prominently feature an acoustic guitar; and “Plant Life," a song about longing for the end of winter, sung over a bouncy piano riff.
At the end of the day, listening to Owl City may not win you any cool points with your music snob friends.
That said, All Things Bright and Beautiful is an engaging collection of pop songs. The lyrical content reflects the thoughts and feelings of an earnest young man trying to live out his faith, and the musical focus on keyboards and synthesizers will be a welcome change for anyone looking for something different from the guitar-based rock they typically listen to.
Check it out. You don't necessarily have to tell your friends you did.
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