“Reality is a lovely place, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”

Adam Young belts out this verse on the opening track of his second studio album, All Things Bright and Beautiful, and it’s a perfect summarization of everything Owl City is about.

I was introduced to Owl City back in 2009, when Tap Tap Revenge released his debut single “Fireflies” as their free track of the week. Honestly, “Fireflies” left me with intrigue for Adam’s music rather than outright admiration for it. But once I heard the entirety of his album Ocean Eyes, that quickly changed.

Owl City’s lyrics are dripping in metaphor and simile. Adam Young, the one man band behind the music project, spends time asking things like…

“Where was I when the rockets came to life and carried you away to the alligator sky?”

“Can you feel a silk embrace in the satin air? When we dissolve without a trace, would the real world even care?”

“In the darkest night, when I need your light, will you show me the way?”

“When can I see you again?”

The lyrics also have a tendency to be DEEP.

“Her dad was a good guy that everyone liked
But nobody knew he was dying inside
He promised his family he’d be alright
And then with a gunshot he left them behind”

Also, did I mention these are Pop lyrics? Man.

I feel like a lot of Owl City’s sincerity comes from the influence Christianity has had on Adam’s music. While Owl City isn’t a Christian music artist, that influence is seen everywhere from the title of All Things Bright and Beautiful, to the songs “Meteor Shower” and “You’re Not Alone,” and it appears to once again be an influence on his upcoming album Mobile Orchestra.

Oh, and lest I forget… Owl City has a song about Superman. SUPERMAN!!! YES, that Superman! And it’s quite brilliant, if I do say so.

Which brings me back to our starting quote.

“Reality is a lovely place, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”

At the end of the day, Owl City’s music is all about uplifting people as they journey through reality. It’s a lovely place, of course, but Owl City provides a musical escape when the journey gets tough. It’s music for the Good Times, the Beautiful Times, and the times when you just can’t fall asleep.

Owl City. It’s music I like, and it is good. Check it out sometime.