This is a rather random
post.
Dear, I have to be
honest with you. Before you gave me that album I was starting to feel
disappointed with him. Like many others, it seemed to me that he was deviating
a little too much away from his usual style and towards the mainstream pop
songs with its dance beats and repetitive or too direct or cliché lyrics. I had
almost lost sight of it… that magic that drew me to his songs.
Those glittery
finishings and weavings of electronic whistles and tinkling and maybe a piano
or a guitar, they were what I thought made his music unique to his music. Those
crazy random lyrics that I never fully understand though I catch nuances of
meaning and purpose, never failed to amuse and draw me in.
But when I listened to
previews of the new album online, I found less and less of these elements. The
music was unimpressionable. I didn’t feel that spark.
Until I really put the
CD on to run its own course. Popped the disc into the drive and play it from
track one to eleven. The first few tracks are upbeat and almost disco-worthy,
great pick-me-ups to garner that activation energy for doing Binomial Theorem. This
bubbly optimism continues all the way to almost the whole disc, and within
dance tracks, the tempos and mood vary to a casual, more mellow feel towards the
middle of it. Perhaps it has something to do with it being released in summer
and titled thus… Usually summer is the time for chilling and partying? So I
guess he’s trying to express that happy, light-hearted let’s-go-party
atmosphere.
And as I listen to all
the lyrics, they really have a lot of drive and optimism. I think the most ‘negative’
song had to be one of the slow tracks, ‘Silhouette’, which sounds rather like a
break-up song of sorts… but other than that most of them are encouraging and
motivational. This sounds rather cheesy, but at a time like this when I’m tired
out and lacking the drive to start studying/complete homework, this can be some
kind of booster indeed.
Amidst all the emo and
rock songs that I’ve been turning to lately, his songs still retain that hearty
cheer. That is the real magic of his songs; the optimism and liveliness. It is
not entirely cheesily happy-go-lucky and superficial, but he manages to get
some sophistication and creativity through it too.
Anyway, dear, all I
wanted to say is, I…
Really…
I think the album art
is quite cool.
There were days when each hour was a war I fought to
survive
There were nights full of nightmares and I dreaded
closing my eyes
There were skies that burst open with a downpour to
drown me alive
But the world took a spark like a match in the dark
And the fire brought me to life
So I’m fanning the flames to climb so high
‘Cause there’s no other way we can stay alive
‘Cause we’re burning bright as we all unite
And when it’s all said and done, we’ll shine like the
sun
So don’t let the fire die
And we’ll watch the sky as it fills with light
And though the embers are new, whatever you do,
Just don’t let the fire die
And you 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.
-‘Embers’ Owl City
Are you letting the
fire die out already, when you haven’t even started?