Sky Sailing: An Airplane Carried Me To Bed

Sky Sailing
An Airplane Carried Me To Bed
Universal Republic Records [2010]









Fire Note Says: Owl City - (Blips + Bleeps) /(Guitar + Piano) = Sky Sailing

Album Review:
Last year about this time we reviewed Adam Young's then unknown band Owl City and not only were we critical but guessed his music might end up on some TV soundtracks but that was about it. Well you just never know how the masses will respond and the album sold like a fire storm with the help of the single "Fireflies". Now I stand by our review and admitted then and now that several songs were catchy but the album was flat, so I can't say I expected that much more from his new/old side project Sky Sailing. The story behind these 11 tracks is that they pre-date the Owl City material and Young felt that the songs represent something completely different, hence the Sky Sailing moniker. The biggest change you will find from his Owl City material is the purity of Young's voice with the accompaniment of acoustic guitar and piano. There are no bleeps, blips or synthesized sounds that take you over here, which makes An Airplane Carried Me To Bed a much more engaging affair. Where Ocean Eyes [2009] had a single, Airplane is more of an album. The tracks work together and it is more satisfying and honest from beginning to end. Now, the joke is that Young will not be giving this release much support publicly other then I am sure the songs will surface on tour. I do hope that for the Owl City's sophomore record he incorporates his Sky Sailing experience and produces a blend, that will work beyond a single. This record shows that it is definitely possible.

Key Tracks: "Brielle", "I Live Alone", "Explorers"

Bands With Similar Fire:
The Rocket Summer
Dashboard Confessional
The New Amsterdams

Owl City: Ocean Eyes [Fire Note Review 7/29/09]

Official Sky Sailing Website
Sky Sailing MySpace
Sky Sailing Facebook
Universal Republic Records

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony