The Midsummer Station Album Review

So I received my hard copy of this baby just yesterday and thought since I am way into music, I may as well take this golden opportunity to write a review for one of the hottest albums of summer, The Midsummer Station by Owl City.

Many fans have dissed his recent efforts claiming that Adam Young has gone all-out mainstreamed by using generic, unoriginal lyrics and completely changing in order to sell well. Only one thing is true in that statement, Adam HAS changed, but he isn't selling out (at least not yet). There are a few known reasons why his music seems so different to everyone.

Adam Young has come out of his caged-up-in-the-basement-alone stage in life and is more involved with his fans, friends, and family, all while getting some well-needed fresh air. Angry fans should at least be proud that he is indeed much healthier than before. 

Another factor is that he doesn't just have his basement and his keyboards and computer anymore, he's got a studio with higher quality equipment and the musical experts helping him out with everything. As a bonus, Matt Theissen was very involved with creating of The Midsummer Station, so die-hard Relient K fans should get some kicks from this album.

Now I could be wrong, but judging by Adam's blog posts and recent interviews (and listening to the CD myself) he seems to be far more focused on the musical part of his songs rather than the lyrical. The results were stunningly constructed instrumentation. What Midsummer Station has done to surpass Ocean Eyes, for example, is intensify the depths of sound and rhythm, putting emotions into the beats, and exploring corners of the world of music he's never been before. Through this he has brilliantly tied together his art with what's popular now. 

This is not to say that the creativity has been completely drained from the lyrics either. Traces of his old writing style are subtly laced throughout, namely in Dreams and Disasters, Embers, Silhouette, and Metropolis. The new writing style is more simplified, emotional, and repetitive, but it is more relatable and easy to understand. Each song is written from different events that took place in his life, things that he took to heart, so lyrically there's just as much depth and perspective than any of his old stuff, it's just done in a different style. The Midsummer Station is meant to be enjoyed by a broader audience, and is definitely more fun.

No matter how depressing the subject, Young always seems to provide shades of light and a positive outlook in both his music and life experiences. And that is just what most critics hate about Owl City. They can't stand the fact that he won't express a strand of negativity or any form of edginess in his songs. But isn't that what critics should be acclaiming; something that is different? Haven't there been enough language-laden pop songs about sex, temporary relationships and partying? As someone who appreciates the generic along with the unique and the obscure, I found The Midsummer Station to be quite refreshing. 

Change can be difficult, but to an artist it's usually very good. The last thing any musician wants to do is have all their songs sound the same or be caught in a musical rut. Experimentation prevents one from getting bored or doing what's already done. As Adam Young himself puts it, he is "merely different colors and different brushstrokes over the same canvas". To my relief he's the same ol' Adam with his same love for musical art. He's simply coming at it with a different medium. With the whole "which Owl City do you like better" I'm like, 

Yes, indeed

Are these works not both considered art? They are  allowed to be admired equally.

Mm YEAH!!! 

While the haters mope around I'm going to indulge in the melodious beauty of my personal favorite tracks, Metropolis and Bombshell Bomb. 

Peace out, because I know you're gold! You are treasured!

God is Scary + Using Your Imagination

Aaaaaand I'm back. From South Dakota. And what does the internet have to show for missing me so much?? Well, nothing, cuz the internet can't necessarily do anything for me... But some hacker from Russia decided to make an attempt at stealing my account. But because of Google's utterly creepy ability to track everything, they were able to prevent the attack from occurring. Thank you so much, Google! I think...

Many of the people who read my blog have already heard a great deal about my South Dakota trip, so I am not going to say much about it here. I will say though, for those I haven't talked to yet, it was a very good, exciting trip and I had a really fun time! It was pretty straightforward, the work and the layout of the trip, and nothing "miraculous" really happened, but that doesn't mean that God wasn't sowing seeds and working wonders! Heck, He is ALWAYS doing that, isn't He??? 

Now there's one thing that I learned on this trip. Actually this is something that I have learned once before. Or twice. Or quite possibly a cazillion times. It just goes to show how hilarious and pathetic it is that we humans think we are so awesome. When really we're not. And yet I still continue to forget how incredible God is, and that He's even there. Oh but, yes, He IS THERE. Because well, um, God is in everything, knows everything, made everything, understands everything, and IS EVERY -FREAKIN- THING!!! 

Also, God loves you, God knows you, and God sees everything that you are all at once. I am going to type that out again (and you, yes you, READ IT AGAIN). God loves, you, God knows you, and God sees everything that you are all at once. When He looks at you, which is all the time, He can see all of darkest corners of our hearts, the deepest spaces in your mind that you cannot reach, and He holds every fiber of your being close to His heart. Now that there is a very frightening thought. You cannot read this and tell me you were not frightened. OK, maybe you're not scared to go to sleep tonight, or you feel uneasy out of your brain, and hopefully you didn't just pee your pants, but I am hoping it at least got you thinking. 

Here's another thing, God is NOT boring. When you actually release your imagination (which is (need I remind you?) hand-crafted by God!) and ask God to let you explore just who He is, then you'll be quite shocked and amazed at how wonderful and loving God is! It WILL NOT be like when you hear the same thing over and over, you know, about God's love? And you hear it so much you start to get to the point where you shut it out or get sick of it or forget just what it means? Sadly, that happens to a lot of us believers. It happens to me a lot *raises hand*. Because we humans are naturally empty and desire for more, it is going to take a lot for us to realize how loving God really is without hearing over and over. We have to live in it, but in order to live it we have to explore it, and gradually increase our knowledge of His love through that. 

We must read the Bible with different eyes every time. That is the true visible word of God that we can pull out anytime (iPhone Bible app, anyone?) to study, explore, and gain fulfillment from. We must attend church every week a different person. The church is God's community that not only is a representation of but is unity, fellowship, and solid grounds of His kingdom right here on earth. Like I said before though, we can't just be hearing this or reading this over and over and not changing through it, we have to live it. 

I remember going on a retreat last year where this speaker really emphasized the beauty of the human mind and how it contains the power of imagination. We don't realize this, but the imagination is a part of reaching the very cores of who we are and has the potential to be destructive or healing. I could go on and on about imagination, but I won't. The thing I want to emphasize is how important it is that we grant God control over the imagination, He will reach us in ways we never could (haha!) imagine! 

Aaaaand in case you are wondering, I did NOT make this picture.
Though it does look like something I'd draw...

So whadduya waiting for??? DO EET!!! Surrender to Him like you never have before!! I'm off to do the same!!!!

Peace out, Bobby!