Adam Young, the one man show behind Owl City, fascinates me in that he does everything on his albums. Writes, composes, records, sings, plays all the instruments and apparently, challenges himself to use the name of every animal known to mankind in his lyrics including deer, tigers, bugs, mice, crows, bees, butterflies, eagles, barracudas, sharks, bears, bats, crickets and tree frogs. It's quite the display of creation if you think about it.

 

There are also shout-outs to tiny feathers, balmy breezes, sugar maple wings, wild fires, ruby redwood trees, velvet ivy, story brushes and satin air. And that's just in the first song, "The Real World!" Yes, the lyrics are a bit wispy, matching Adams vocal delivery, and take a few listens to get used to, but then you appreciate how different they are. Adam's lyrics are poetic in the truest sense, and he's a hopeless romantic who is searching for love, acceptance and the getting lost in wonder of creation all around us. He finds a plethora of adjectives to describe the world around him and he wraps it all around some fantastic synth/dance/electronic music that is instantly his own sound, and incredibly catchy.

 

Yes the lyrics are borderline odd, but there are so many hope filled gems to be discovered if you dig. "My captain on a snowy horse has come back to take me home," Adam sings on "Kamikaze," a creative reference to Revelation 19. On "Hospital Flowers," a song about reawakening after a tragic event, Adam sings, "My burns were third degree, but I'd been set free, because grace had finally found its' way to me." In "Plant Life," he's longing for companionship and sings,"If I were to pluck on your heart strings, would you strum on mine?"

 

This isn't a praise and worship album, but it sure is an amazing fun celebration in hope and positivity, soaked in lyrical whimsy that's tough not to appreciate.