Owl City - THE MIDSUMMER STATION (2012) - Sampler

So I've been an Owl City fan ever since I heard Fireflies... like months after everyone else. Both Ocean Eyes and All Things Bright and Beautiful were wonderful. Catchy and great music with the most imaginative lyrics ever.

What about The Midsummer Station? The Shooting Star EP got a 10/10 from me, so I set the bar real high for TMS, and although Good Time took time to get used to it became a summer anthem quickly.

And now the samples for the whole album are out and all I have to say is...

The music is different, and more dancey (not necessarily a bad thing), though it becomes slower and softer from Embers onwards.

But the lyrics, they have lost all the magic Adam Young had put on them. They're nice, but they have lost all the creativity, everything that made them special. The random stuff that strangely worked together.

Before I go track-on-track lemme just say: what the hell Adam, why record two extra songs and not put them on the standard album? A japanese bonus track and an iTunes bonus track that are not available retail-wise? That crap pulled me away from retail releases of All Things, haven't you learned? I'm gonna buy this retail, but don't expect me to throw away extra money. If there wasn't space left on the album, I'd understand, but there IS!! Eleven tracks with an average of 3-4 mins each? There is SO MUCH SPACE LEFT.

Don't forget this is for the samples, not the full songs (except tracks 2 to 4, 7 and 11)

01 - Dreams and Disasters - This one is a dancefloor-calling song, no different of what we have out there. That's a bad sign, but the song ain't so bad. (7/10)
02 - Shooting Star - Yeah, this is the song that reminds me the most of older works with a tad of originality, not lyricwise though. This could easily fit onto ATBAB. Catchy as hell but that's OC for ya. (9/10)
03 - Gold - I'm pretty sure back when the Shooting Star EP was released this was my favorite. I'm not so sure now if it is, but that's because the 4 tracks in there were absolutely fantastic. Really good, but probably my least favorite from the EP now. (8.5/10)

04 - Dementia - This is SO different from Owl City, but hey, it works! It really really works! Probably one of the best in the album. (9/10)
05 - I'm Coming After You - Owl City has a bit of a childish sound (since it's synthpop) but this one is... just... Oh my god. Seriously. The only thing that saves it is the fact that the verse seems to lighten up the at-first-stupidly sounding chorus. And that saves it from me giving it a 3 out of 10. (6.5/10)

06 - Speed Of Love - Outside the 5 we knew, this has the most appealing sound to me. The progression of the song is what is worrying me. (8/10, though I'm feeling like a 7.5)
07 - Good Time - I really like this one. Makes you feel really good and optimistic. (8.5/10)

08 - Embers - It's just amazing. Sounds like something from the EP, but then when you remember what was in it you discard that option. (8.5/10)

09 - Silhouette - I loved this sample. Probably the best lyrics here (not the creativity from older albums so don't think it's that), very inspirational, and sounds like a perfect ballad. (8.5/10)

10 - Metropolis - There's often a black sheep in an album. To me it'd be I'm Coming After You (that woo woo imitating a siren is just cringe-inducing). However, Metropolis sounds awful to me. The sound is basically mashing the first track with Speed of Love and the lyrics are bland. With Ocean Eyes, everyone said "Every track sounds the same" but they all had something to make them stand out. This one doens't. Stuff said.(6/10)
11 - Take It All Away - The lyrics in this one mean a lot, and I mean a lot. I just love it. (9/10)
12 - Bombshell Blonde - Adam, what. have. you. done. This ain't you. It sounds so... well... the first thing that came to my mind was 007 for some reason. Makes you sound a little promiscuous but whatever. We know it's not but it sounds like you're trying to conquer a random girl. Let's hope the song saves it. (6/10)



Overview: The 5 released tracks pumped me to buy it day 1, now I'm a bit torn but I'll definitely buy it. ATBAB to me had either great songs or awful songs. This one has only two awful songs to me. I'm a bit worried about how Dreams and Disasters, Speed Of Love and Embers will turn out, but I'm sure they will be fantastic.

The best tracks are Dementia, Good Time, Embers, Silhouette, Take It All Away. Shooting Star and Speed Of Love are the runner-ups, with Dreams and Disasters and Gold not far behind.
I'm Coming After You and Metropolis are the worst tracks but for different reasons. I'd stay away from Bombshell Blonde aswell.