Summer Album Re-Cap: Owl City, Bombay Bicycle Club & Circa Survive

It seems like so much great music came out this summer, I thought it was time to do some album reviews from a couple of my favorite releases! You may already own these albums or know about them, but if you don’t I highly suggest you check out all three. Enjoy! 

The Midsummer Station- Owl City

I’ve been a fan of Adam Young (otherwise known under his musical name Owl City) ever since his debut album ‘Ocean Eyes’ and his widely famous single ‘Fireflies’. He released the synth/pop record at a time when it wasn’t popular to do so, and became widely known in the music industry for his beautiful, dreamy songs.

Since then, Owl City has released two more full length records; his latest being The Midsummer Station. The album came out on August 21^st 2012, and features duet songs with Carly Rae Jepsen, and Mark Hoppus (Blink-182).

Although I’ve had The Midsummer Station on my iTunes since August, it was only in the last week or two that I sat down and gave the album a good listen. When it was over, I opened my iTunes and started it right back over. When it was done again? I did the same thing. You see where I’m going with this.

I’ve been completely in love with this record. From the opening track ‘Dreams and Disasters’ where Adam sings “I wanna feel alive for ever after…” with those distinct upbeat, pop/synth, dreamy melodies, to the last; ‘Take it All Away’ which is reminiscent of the beautiful songs that have filled his previous albums.

I must admit that I’m not crazy about ‘Good Time’ featuring Carly Rae Jepsen, but I think the song ‘Dementia’ featuring Mark Hoppus is absolutely genius. Hoppus’ vocals compliment Adam Youngs’ beautifully, not to mention the song itself is the perfect blend of Owl City meets Blink-182.

If you’re a fan of Owl City, you’re sure to really enjoy The Midsummer Station. I’d have to say I love this one even more than his last album ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’. It’s a mix of the things I’ve always appreciated from Owl City’s music, and a more mature track listing that has shown his growth as a musician in the last 14 months.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Label: Universal Republic

A Different Kind of Fix- Bombay Bicycle Club

Released on August 29^th 2012, ‘A Different Kind of Fix’ by Bombay Bicycle Club is the perfect album for Indie lovers who, like me, prefer the more alternative Indie artists rather than the folksy ones. I came across this album after a friend recommended them to me. I was skeptical at first, but after hearing the opening bars to the song ‘Shuffle’ BBC won me over almost immediately.

Some other favorites for me include ‘How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep’, ‘Your Eyes’, ‘Favourite Day’, and the incredibly beautiful melody ‘Still’. This last song took me by surprise; it is completely different from everything else you’ll hear on the album, but I think that’s why it struck me so much.

The tracks that didn’t really hit the mark for me were ‘Beggars’, ‘Fracture’ and ‘Lights Out, Words Gone’. I think this might simply be because these are the more mellow songs and I’ve always preferred more upbeat ones. That’s not to say I don’t LIKE these songs, but I much prefer tracks like ‘Leave It’ that hit a high point at the chorus and really stand out from the rest.

Overall, Bombay Bicycle Club is a fantastic new musical find for me. Anyone who’s looking for some good new bands should give these guys a try- I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Label: Island

Violent Waves- Circa Survive

My taste in music has always varied, and the one thing I’ve ever been able to find that links my favorite artists together is that they are all unique in their own way. Circa Survive, a band I have followed and loved for years now, is no different. Lead singer Anthony Green is well known for his extremely distinct vocals (and I can say, after interviewing him a few years back, he has a very normal talking voice!)

On August 28^th 2012, Circa Survive released their fourth album ‘Violent Waves’. The big difference with this one is that they did it entirely themselves. If you have ever liked anything by this alternative/rock band, you’re sure to like this record too. It’s reminiscent of ‘Juturna’, their first album from 2006.

I’m a particular fan of the opening track ‘Birth of the Economic Hit Man’. The slow beginning builds up to a strong and powerful chorus, and dips right back down into quieter tones. Anthony Green’s vocals are really highlighted in this particular track as they range from low, to high, and back to low.

I can’t say that this is my favorite album that Circa Survive has released as a whole; I don’t feel the same passion and despair (that’s an awful word to use, I know, but its true) as I did on ‘Blue Sky Noise’. That being said, I’m kind of biased towards anything Anthony Green sings on and I still love it. It’s one of those records I can put on and let it play over and over again while I go about my day. The members of Circa have a way of conveying their deepest emotions through their songs that I’ve rarely found with any other artist. It’s a truly admirable quality and for this reason alone, I’ll always respect their work.

A couple of my other favorites from the record include: ‘My Only Friend’, ‘Bird Sounds’, and the beautiful 7 minute track ‘I’ll Find a Way’.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Label: Self-released