I didn't think he knew how to cry until our dog died that year.
June 11, 2018 5:54 AM Subscribe
Do you remember Fireflies? Well, after spending nearly all of 2016 on his ambitious Scores project (in which he would create a truncated film score about various topics, one each month), Adam Young, AKA Owl City has quietly been moving forward with a new pop album. Released in three "Reels", the first single I encountered from Cinematic is from Reel 2: Lucid Dream.
The full album is posted here [~1h15m], but also individual tracks -- Side A: Fiji Water, The 5th Of July, All My Friends [video], House Wren, Not All Heroes Wear Capes
Side B: Montana, Lucid Dream [video], Always, Cloud Nine
Side C: Winners Never Quit, Madeline Island, Be Brave, New York City [video]
Side D: Firebird, Cinematic, All My Friends (Alt. Version), Montana (Alt. Version), Firebird (Alt. Version)
The full album is posted here [~1h15m], but also individual tracks -- Side A: Fiji Water, The 5th Of July, All My Friends [video], House Wren, Not All Heroes Wear Capes
Side B: Montana, Lucid Dream [video], Always, Cloud Nine
Side C: Winners Never Quit, Madeline Island, Be Brave, New York City [video]
Side D: Firebird, Cinematic, All My Friends (Alt. Version), Montana (Alt. Version), Firebird (Alt. Version)
Fireflies pops up on satellite radio pretty frequently (on the 00's channel) and it gets stuck in my head for days. Thanks for this update!
posted by hopeless romantique at 6:47 AM on June 11, 2018
posted by hopeless romantique at 6:47 AM on June 11, 2018
Probably all the discussion of Fireflies is over long ago, but that electronic organ fascinates me. My parents' neighbor has an even fancier version with more light-up buttons that I tried unsuccessfully to coax back to life. No trip to the mall used to be complete without walking by the organ store where someone was showing off. They still make them, and there's a whole subculture around these things. It's too bad Yamaha pulled out of the US market, although they continue to sell Electones in Asia.
posted by lagomorphius at 6:54 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by lagomorphius at 6:54 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Love your music posts, hippybear. You’ve introduced me to so much music
posted by not_the_water at 8:42 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by not_the_water at 8:42 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Wow, that scores project is something. I just skimmed through it briefly and it's gorgeous, I need to take some time, maybe while writing, and play it through.
From the new album I quite like Be Brave, which feels just different enough from other stuff he's done to feel like new artistic territory, although it's still very, very distinctly "owl city".
posted by Cozybee at 10:17 AM on June 11, 2018
From the new album I quite like Be Brave, which feels just different enough from other stuff he's done to feel like new artistic territory, although it's still very, very distinctly "owl city".
posted by Cozybee at 10:17 AM on June 11, 2018
is, uh, owl city, uh, religious?
Adam Young is a Christian, yes, but Owl City just makes awesome music. One doesn't necessarily preclude the other.
posted by jhope71 at 10:54 AM on June 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
Adam Young is a Christian, yes, but Owl City just makes awesome music. One doesn't necessarily preclude the other.
posted by jhope71 at 10:54 AM on June 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
Adam Young is a Christian, yes, but Owl City just makes awesome music. One doesn't necessarily preclude the other.
As someone who OD'd on Christian Rock (and Christianity, for that matter) in his youth Owl City sounds distinctly like Christian Rock to me, something about the vocals having a weird wholesome autotuned sound to them. It's also why I think I cannot listen to Owl City, it feels treacly. Like it's designed to comfort parents who make their kids listen to only Christian music. Even many bands with a harder instrumental sound like Skillet or Thousand Foot Krutch have tame vocals.
That's not to say that Christian artists can't have an edge to their music, I liked Joy Williams' Civil Wars project after she left the Contemporary Christian scene. Sufjan Stevens, etc etc.
posted by JauntyFedora at 4:25 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
As someone who OD'd on Christian Rock (and Christianity, for that matter) in his youth Owl City sounds distinctly like Christian Rock to me, something about the vocals having a weird wholesome autotuned sound to them. It's also why I think I cannot listen to Owl City, it feels treacly. Like it's designed to comfort parents who make their kids listen to only Christian music. Even many bands with a harder instrumental sound like Skillet or Thousand Foot Krutch have tame vocals.
That's not to say that Christian artists can't have an edge to their music, I liked Joy Williams' Civil Wars project after she left the Contemporary Christian scene. Sufjan Stevens, etc etc.
posted by JauntyFedora at 4:25 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Owl City is not a Christian Rock band. Adam Young is a Christian.
And yes, Be Brave is a standout track. Actually, I think this album might be the best Owl City album so far, although I can't claim to have heard them all. I feel like his year spent composing imaginary movie scores really expanded his sound palette. There's a lot of really great things going on sonically on this album.
Now, if only he could spend a year doing exercises to break him of his really obvious habits when it comes to melodic tension and chord progressions.
(I like Owl City, but that's despite his repetitive quirks, not because of them.)
posted by hippybear at 7:23 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
And yes, Be Brave is a standout track. Actually, I think this album might be the best Owl City album so far, although I can't claim to have heard them all. I feel like his year spent composing imaginary movie scores really expanded his sound palette. There's a lot of really great things going on sonically on this album.
Now, if only he could spend a year doing exercises to break him of his really obvious habits when it comes to melodic tension and chord progressions.
(I like Owl City, but that's despite his repetitive quirks, not because of them.)
posted by hippybear at 7:23 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
(Also, I think the whole Leslie Phillips / Sam Phillips transition is worthwhile and if I could find The Turning in a format to post here I would because I think it's the most honest Christian Rock album ever recorded and it continues to be in rotation in my musical life today because it's such a singular thing and it continues to speak to me.)
posted by hippybear at 8:29 PM on June 11, 2018
posted by hippybear at 8:29 PM on June 11, 2018
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