Now let’s rewind a bit – because if Adam Young can tell bits and pieces of a story with no regard for either a chronological or narrative order, then why the hell should I have to? I became a fan of Owl City – and I don’t say that ironically – in early 2010 when I finally decided to hear for myself what the fuss was all about with the single “Fireflies” and the album it came from, Ocean Eyes. Unfortunately, Young does neither on this record. But I was expecting… I don’t know, maybe some sort of a cohesive narrative, at least? With this many songs taking up this much of the listener’s time, you’ve either gotta commit yourself to the concept or else trim some of the fat. So it’s not like I came into Cinematic expecting some sort of a profound deeper meaning and came up short.
Young’s a pretty transparent guy – even though the premises of a lot of his songs can be rather cutesy and sometimes downright surreal, he’s not shy about making the moral of the story obvious in most cases (at least, when there is a moral beyond just playing around with the synths and beats and having a sunny good time). For better or worse, it’s the sentiment that gives Owl City’s fifth album (seventh if you count his two indie releases) a reason for being, with many of its 15 songs offering little vignettes from various points in Young’s personal life, as if the grand total of all of his little adventures and misadventures was meant to paint some bigger picture outlining his philosophy on life. I normally wouldn’t spoil the ending of an album in the very first line of a review, but let’s be honest here – unlike the sort of plot twist in a genuinely compelling film that might prompt you to go back and look at the rest of the story with new eyes, this isn’t exactly a surprising revelation. “Your life is a movie.” That’s the sentiment that Adam Young, best known as the lone permanent member of the synthpop outfit Owl City, chooses us to leave us with at the end of his sprawling new hour-long album, appropriately titled Cinematic. While sifting through 15 songs (and 3 alternate versions!) to find those rare gems is generally not a delightful experience, this album might still be a step up from Mobile Orchestra. The songs may seem redundant due to repetitive instrumentals, but listening to the album from start to finish is the best way to capture Young’s life.In Brief: Somewhere within this hodgepodge of bland personal anecdotes and ill-advised bits of genre-hopping, are a small handful of truly imaginative synthpop songs that remind me of why I once risked the scorn of fellow critics to proclaim that I actually liked Owl City.
Cinematic may be seen as an autobiography of Young’s life. Young’s songwriting has shifted since his catchy “Fireflies” days to focus more on storytelling. Listening to this album was like watching a film and Track 15, the last new song on the album, is the perfect song to play as credits roll across the screen. The song “New York City” sounds similar to Owl City’s 2009 hit “Fireflies” and the next track, “Firebird,” follows suit with cliché pop beats and repetition. In the following song, “Be Brave,” Young performs a ballad that recounts the night he met his girlfriend. Track 11, “Madeline Island,” brings the audience back to themes of the album’s first half by describing a beautiful vacation with a lover. “Cloud Nine,” the album’s ninth track, is a nice change of pace with its up-tempo pop beat and motivational lyrics, such as “Look up when the world gets you down, And you’re gonna get by, Hang in when the world counts you out, And you’re gonna be fine.” In an April 4 video on Owl City’s YouTube channel, Young said the song is about “learning to keep your head up even when you feel like the entire world is doing everything it can to bring you down.” With a similar theme, the next track, “Winners Never Quit,” includes ambitious instrumentals and lyrics. The song “Not All Heroes Wear Capes,” originally released in 2017 as a single, is a tribute to Young’s father. Track three, “All My Friends,” is a feel-good anthem with a guitar and simple drum beat. Cinematic’s first two tracks detail Young’s life, including his parents falling in love. Young uses the first eight tracks to tell personal, family-oriented stories. This 18-track album includes 15 new tracks and three alternate versions of previous songs. Although Cinematic is best classified as pop, it can also resonate with electronic or techno.
The band is known for its two hit songs “Fireflies” and “Good Time,” fans have been waiting for Owl City’s return. After a three-year break, Owl City- which consists solely of musician Adam Young- is back with its newest album Cinematic, released June 1.
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