EP Review: Owl City – Ultraviolet
2 min read
Electronica/Synth pop sensation Owl City is back with his new EP; Ultraviolet. It’s been two years since the release of his most recent album Midsummer Station, and five years since our first taste of Owl City with the multi-platinum selling hit single Fireflies. Adam Young, the man behind the city, has prepared a series of EP’s to release instead of an album; Ultraviolet is to be the first of what Young describes as a deeper venture into EDM and a more edgier sound to Owl City than experienced before.
Lead single Beautiful Times is rich with synths and has elements somewhat similar to that of Fireflies, yet the vocal melody is on a different level; it still has that trademark poppy vibe that Owl City typically launches. Up All Night definitely fits the edgier sound Young said he was going for, the beat is deeper than usual and the melody is a tad more dramatic both sonically and lyrically; the need for a bridge couldn’t help but be felt, just to make the song sound more complete.
This Isn’t The End unravels the tale of a father committing suicide and leaving his grief stricken family behind in pieces, a story told in pop style with the mature tone of the keyboard and slight beat. The echo resonating from the end of each line in Wolf Bite may grind your gears a little, but if you’re after some punchy EDM/pop Owl City style, this is the track for you.
There are definitely some different sounds being experimented here with Ultraviolet, standing out from the light hearted pop previously tapped into by Owl City. There’s only so much that can be done vocally with Young, his range is there, but his vocal practically hasn’t changed from day one which gives you the feeling of listening to the same vocal track release after release; but the change in the sound of the music is definitely present. It will be interesting to hear what else is up Young’s sleeve for the rest of the year, the world will be looking forward to some more fresh material from Owl City.
