is this a song review, you're asking. no. not quite.
to be honest, I was highly skeptical of the new album. why? because it's like what it is to some people.
"OH. EM. GEE. have you heard the latest Owl City song?! the guy's lost his touch. his songs are so different. I hate it. he sucks."
...or...
"ohh, have you heard the latest Taylor Swift song? she sounds so different. she's trying to be Avril Lavigne.. I liked the old Taylor better".
whatever, people. part of loving and artist/band is loving the person as much as what they do/produce. and just for the record, HERE'S sincere proof Adam Young is just a musical genius, and merely experimenting with a new sound for his new record. the demo and "The Midsummer Station", in my opinion, is just Young showcasing what good artists are capable of--trying something new and still sticking to his roots. yes, I admit I do like his previous albums better, but does that mean I'll never listen to Owl City again? nope. (just in case you're wondering, if Young made a heavy metal album, would I buy it? noo. would I hate him if he did? nada.)
is this a post where I gush about how much I love Adam Young, you ask. uh. hang on.
I'm not sure if it was an obsession or not, but ever since I heard "Fireflies" back in late '09, I've been gleefully expecting more ear candy from the genius behind Owl City. love at first sight? nah. I wouldn't call myself "da. biggest. fan. evaaahh!!!!11!!", considering how some fangirls go to such extremes. yeah those people, I don't fancy. if you're around me a lot or have hung around me for a good while, you'll quickly come to realize that the way I show appreciation is very subtle, if not silent most of the time.
fine. fine. I'll say it... I'm horrible at showing appreciation. I shy away from opening birthday gifts in front of the gift-giver because if they're slightly on the sensitive side, I'm sorry, you won't see me screaming with joy and handing out free hugs to everyone I see. instead, I smile politely, say 'thank you' and look like a totally ungrateful brat, but the truth is, I'm probably just too thrilled with the fact somebody actually remembered my birthday and went out of their way to get me a present. believe me, I'll probably be smiling from ear-to-ear for the whole day. I'm sorry if you've ever been a victim of my GAWSH-I-LOVE-THIS-PRESENT-BUT-I-LOOK-TOTALLY-UNGRATEFUL-RIGHT-NOW issue. I'm working on it. seriously.
okay, I apologize, that's totally for another day.
tangent.
there are two kinds of people in this world: people who love Owl City and people who hate Owl City. fine with me. you know which side I'm on. so why did I doubt the new record? because, despite Young talking about his record being completely different and praying it was still somewhat the same kind of sound I had fallen in love with the first place, the record was nowhere near the things he'd be churning out before. needless to say, this silly fan girl was utterly crushed after sampling the EP.
THEN BEHOLD. I heard "Embers" from some exclusive preview and wow. is it too weird to say I've adopted it as my own anthem? probably. but you're on my blog, so that's to be expected.
dunno how many of you have ever been camping where you sat around a toasty fire, sticky marshmallows and sticks in hand or just actually sat mesmerized around a big bonfire/some type of fire pit. you sort of know three minutes into starting the fire that it's not gonna be an easy task, but once it's aflame, you wonder how in the world you're going to put the thing out. the lyrics draw a picture of looking past the inevitable gloom clouds we're all bound to encounter somewhere down the road and keeping the flame alive. it's what Young calls a "rise from the ashes" song.
and you'll find, there'll be mornings when the ashes and embers are cold//but you'll fight with a passion and you'll never stop 'cause you know//yeah, you know it gets better and your story is yet to be told//every push, every shove, every war, every love //yeah the coals are beginning to glow.
there's one line that he keeps singing over and over again that echoes in my mind long after the song has stopped.
whatever you do, just don't let the fire die...
whatever you love, whatever you strive to accomplish, it starts with that little spark. sometimes I think I've snuffed out whatever was left that had made me start something in the first place. and on some days I still need to remind myself for doing what I do. beautiful inspiration.
hey you, chin held high, eyes upward, keep fanning dem flames.
(p.s.--for any hootowls out there that's been living under a rock, here's another demo he released on his blog called "Paper Tigers". yes, yes, you can thank me later.)
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