Owl City-"Maybe I'm Dreaming" Review

Before he was plagued by insomnia and dreamed about fireflies, Adam Young (aka Owl City), was your typical introvert. He kept to himself, didn't socialize well, but at the same time, longed for love in a world that's a bit more cheery than this one. Indeed, the concept of dreaming is one that Young knows in and out, and all of these grand ideas come together in his laregly forgotten debut "Maybe I'm Dreaming". Originally released in 2008, this mysterious and charming album comes in with a rush of all sorts of colors and weird noises. But to get the tired gag out of the way: yes, this does sound like the bright flip-side of "Give Up" by The Postal Service, but given Young's sweet and naive disposition, the comparison is hardly intentional. Maybe it's because he's so darn loveable, but it's hard to hate "Maybe I'm Dreaming", especially with its perfect harmonies, lush production, and shyly confident vocals from Young. And while The Postal Service may serve as a blueprint for Owl City's sound, its core foundation is all due to Young. Since this is technically his first album, there's a palpable sense of excitement here, so he's also more willing to experiment. He crafts these songs in the wide landscape of electronica, but records them with modern sensibility. Notice the crashing drum machine in "Dear Vienna", or the piano interludes in "This is the Future". These types of sonic adventures would eventually be phased out on his later material, so they give "Maybe I'm Dreaming" a more irresistable appeal. Ironically though, the two worst moments on this record are the original versions of "On the Wing" and "The Saltwater Room". While they were standouts on Owl City's 2009 smash "Ocean Eyes", here their stripped down, straightforwardness pale in comparison not only to their alternative versions but to the rest of this record. Other than these two placid ballads, "Maybe I'm Dreaming" has no duds, each song is executed with conviction and panache. This record also catches Adam Young before his enormous popularity, so his mythos and emotions are captured more consistently. This is, in part, due to the lyrics, which are more concrete than Owl City's subsequent albums ("Good evening shuttle bus, where will you be taking us?" to cite one example). There's no talk of eating pavement or rivers that taste like fruit, so the idiosyncrasies in the music intrigue rather than frustrate. To put it simply, this record skillfully synthesizes Young's aesthetic abilities while capturing Young's production skills at a peak. It's Adam Young at his best, a fact actually driven home by his proceeding material. Later, he would expand on the ideas presented here, but as his star grew brighter, he would end up losing focus and created hollow records. Even if none of these songs astound quite like "Fireflies", this doesn't stop "Maybe I'm Dreaming" to be a thoroughly impressive and wholly enjoyable album.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. On The Wing                                 2. Rainbow Veins             3. Super Honeymoon
4. The Saltwater Room                   5. Early Birdie                6. Air Traffic
7. The Technicolor Phase         8. Sky Diver                        9. Dear Vienna
10. I’ll Meet You There                   11. This is the Future  12. West Coast Friendship