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(Reviews Editor)
Label: Universal - Rating: 
So, it’s been said before, but the obvious reference here is Postal Service. But while Postal Service has deep pathos and dark themes, Owl City differs in that the songs are breezy, fun, and light-hearted. It’s like someone delivered Postal Service some Zoloft and told them to attend therapy until they felt “the light.” This is not a bad review. Replace Royksopp with Postal Service in the above sentence and it would still be the same.
All the songs on this album are so upbeat, whimsical, and emo that it’s the perfect music to put on in lieu of a friend if there was no one there to talk to about some problem. It’s like sailing through various shades of happy, major key tonalities, complete with moments of happy-hardcore, disco, emo female vocals, pop entrenched songwriting structures, and a sunny, beautiful album cover to boot. What could be more “perfect” than this?
Put this on at the beach and the theme of the album becomes apparent. Indeed, Ocean Eyes has a strong ocean motif with songs like “The Saltwater Room,” “Umbrella Beach,” “Tip of the Iceberg,” and “Tidal Wave.” Its sunny disposition represents the meeting of sea, sun, and beach very well. I can practically smell the sunscreen worn while lead musician Adam Young wrote these songs.
Songs like “Meteor Shower” and their single “Fireflies” capture a naïve and lovely ethereal romanticism. The production on the former puts the listener under a star-speckled sky with the feeling like paradise is only a car ride away to the nearest open sky with one’s significant other, and continues through the rest of the album.
Like Owl City? Then you might like: Postal Service, Hot Chip, Hellogoodbye.
