Adam Young's sugary emo electronica pop as
Owl City has been a highly polarizing entity since he broke through in a huge way with runaway single "Fireflies" in 2009. Critics and naysayers dismissed the project as a watered-down
Postal Service ripoff way too late in the game, but millions and millions of fans dismissed the critics and made the song an international chart-topper. While "Fireflies" was a really rare accidental Top 40 hit recorded by
Young in his basement,
The Midsummer Station is tailored for commercial radio.
Owl City has never shied away from big-sounding pop with emo underpinnings, and
The Midsummer Station goes as big as possible.
Young brings in production assistance from hitmakers
Stargate for the Euro-house rave touches of "Shooting Star" and co-writes several songs with
Katy Perry writer/engineer
Emily Wright. Electronic four-on-the-floor beats are huge, production is loud and garish, and the hooks announce themselves with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. It's by-the-numbers big-budget pop. Obvious single "Good Time" finds
Young duetting with
Justin Bieber-approved tween pop star
Carly Rae Jepsen on a huge summery production about hanging out, partying, and nothing in particular. It's a great example of a dumb, fun pop song done right, and along with the slightly more sophisticated "Metropolis" and the rocked-out moments of "Dementia" (the latter aided by
blink-182's
Mark Hoppus), it's one of the album's standouts. ~ Fred Thomas