Mobile Orchestra
by Owl City
  • Record Label: Republic
  • Release Date: Jul 10, 2015
User Score
6.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 44 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 44
  3. Negative: 12 out of 44
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  1. Keter_8
    Aug 2, 2015
    0
    It all went wrong with Midsummer Station. After I had listened to the whole album, my jaw dropped. "Was this really made by Adam Young?" was my reaction. I was expecting more of the unique and hard to pin down lyrics that I knew Owl City for. I wanted to hear more electronica style music from him. It made me feel as though someone grabbed hold of him and forced him to make anything but theIt all went wrong with Midsummer Station. After I had listened to the whole album, my jaw dropped. "Was this really made by Adam Young?" was my reaction. I was expecting more of the unique and hard to pin down lyrics that I knew Owl City for. I wanted to hear more electronica style music from him. It made me feel as though someone grabbed hold of him and forced him to make anything but the music he was known for.

    Ultraviolet seemed slightly hopeful, maybe Owl City got the message and was regrouping for a better album? I guess not, because then the Mobile Orchestra train wreck appeared. I want to remain hopeful that Adam can someday make another Ocean Eyes-like album, but I'm not holding my breath.

    Mobile Orchestra has to be the most confused album I've ever heard from Owl City. There's hardly any consistency in style from song to song, and the lyrics are bland and understandable. Owl City lyrics are not supposed to be like that. If you are a classical Owl City fan, don't bother with Mobile Orchestra, it will disappoint.

    There's fine line between chaos and clarity; Owl City used to be able to find that golden line and produced fantastic songs! Perhaps someday Adam will make a comeback after rediscovering that sweet spot? I certainly know he can, but it all boils down to if he wants to.    … Expand
  2. marie52
    Jul 15, 2015
    3
    As a huge Owl City fan, I'm disappointed with this new album in so many ways I can't even put it into words. I honestly never thought I would ever say this but I could barely listen to all of the songs from beginning to end. I literally had to skip every song, and I couldn't help but hope that the next one would be amazing so I wouldn't feel so bad.

    Before Mobile Orchestra I would never    As a huge Owl City fan, I'm disappointed with this new album in so many ways I can't even put it into words. I honestly never thought I would ever say this but I could barely listen to all of the songs from beginning to end. I literally had to skip every song, and I couldn't help but hope that the next one would be amazing so I wouldn't feel so bad.

    Before Mobile Orchestra I would never say anything like that, there was no "Oh wow I don't like this song at all" while I was listening to any of his songs, and I mean all of them, including the ones from his other projects. I'm so confused and upset because Adam Young is so talented, I truly can't understand what happened.

    To be honest, not all of the songs were actually bad. The gospel ones were the best, but the lyrics. -and before I say anything else: I respect that Adam is a religious person, even though I'm not. I have no interest in any religion, and I'm not the type of person who would say bad things about any religion or judge Adam or anyone for their beliefs - I just couldn't relate to the lyrics and It actually annoyed me, so unfortunately I couldn't listen to those songs either.

    I completely understand and accept that people change and that Adam Young has changed a lot. As an artist he will inevitably change his music all the time, just like he has done before. From Ocean Eyes to The Midsummer Station every track was different, but each one was still great you know?

    With all being said, what I feel about this album couldn't change what I feel about Adam Young at all, I still love him and admire him with all my heart. I honestly can't believe I've said all of this and I feel so bad, I'm literally gonna listen to Ocean Eyes now for 3 days straight, excuse me    … Expand
  3. BrainAndSoul
    Jul 24, 2015
    3
    Just point me at the moment when Adam stopped making fairytales for ears and started to do typical pop-food for 16-years girls. I need to travel back in that time to stop him.
  4. blien16
    Sep 10, 2015
    3
    As much I like Owl City, this album is just horribly produced. Like The Midsummer Station, the whole album lacks originality and fails in an attempt to create a commercial pop album, which even the collaborations couldn't save. I am not against gospels, but it would've been better if he made a separate gospel album. The gospels clashed dismally with the pop tracks, creating a cacophonyAs much I like Owl City, this album is just horribly produced. Like The Midsummer Station, the whole album lacks originality and fails in an attempt to create a commercial pop album, which even the collaborations couldn't save. I am not against gospels, but it would've been better if he made a separate gospel album. The gospels clashed dismally with the pop tracks, creating a cacophony when the album is taken as a whole. Even the lyrics on some tracks, especially those with featured artists, are lazily written, not up to par with Young's usual work. The only element that saved the whole album is Young's heavenly voice, but that fails to cover up the horrid flaws evident in this poorly constructed album.… Expand
  5. WolfLambert
    Jul 12, 2015
    2
    I’ve never been the biggest Owl City fan — he is to me of the same kind as, for example, Passion Pit. Both have a few really strong tracks, but honestly, I can’t listen to an entire album of the sugary synthpop they produce, I feel like I’m going to get diabetes from it rather than enjoyment. Sitting through an Owl City album or a Passion Pit album to me is a few good tracks and then moreI’ve never been the biggest Owl City fan — he is to me of the same kind as, for example, Passion Pit. Both have a few really strong tracks, but honestly, I can’t listen to an entire album of the sugary synthpop they produce, I feel like I’m going to get diabetes from it rather than enjoyment. Sitting through an Owl City album or a Passion Pit album to me is a few good tracks and then more of the same, and more, and more, and even more. This is not the case with every single synthpop act (I really like Magic Man, they do something right) but definitely with many of them. The new Prides album which came out a few days ago is similar — I’m not going to review it, but my thoughts on it in one sentence: the last track is the best one but the rest is just so poppy I can’t really sit through it without getting bored and feeling an overwhelming urge to turn it off. I’ve also always found Adam Young’s Christian mentality to be a little too obvious in the music — I have nothing against Christian-themed music per se, I really like twenty one pilots’ new album, but it’s often so incredibly noticeable that it starts getting in the way.

    Owl City’s new album is something different, however. It’s a change stylistically — from synthpop with pop rock elements to something closer to the currently popular hybrid of EDM and dance-pop with some other things thrown in. Now let’s ask the most important question: does it hold up? Well…
    NO.

    I was not a huge fan of The Midsummer Station, but then again many of the tracks on there were forgettable rather than plainly atrocious. However, one minute in and I was already convinced that this is the worst Owl City release to date. Many of these songs are either boring or even not something I can keep listening to for its whole length of four minutes or less. I’ll just go ahead and say that the 30-second title track prelude thing the album starts with is the best track on this record, and that should say clearly enough what a disappointment this album is.

    The thing starts off properly with Verge, the lead single (“Hey, welcome to the album! Let’s start off with the lead single because it’s accessible!”) and a blatant EDM song featuring Aloe Blacc. First of all, the only reason Aloe Blacc is on here is for his name. He contributes absolutely nothing to the song and his vocal lines really remind me of what he does in Wake Me Up by Avicii, only in a much less entertaining way, it even feels like trying to capture some of Wake Me Up’s success again at which they absolutely failed if that was the case. And honestly, the rest of the album is that same recipe repeated to death. This Isn’t The End is probably the best proper song on here and that track was already released on his 2014 Ultraviolet EP. That is just laziness. In fact, three tracks on here have been on earlier releases, and his last proper album is from 2012. You have so much time and then you just come up with this!? Sorry, but this album just isn’t good at all. I’ll forget that this exists and hope that Adam Young returns to his roots a little and makes an album that is at least listenable.    … Expand
  6. robertpelle
    Dec 1, 2017
    1
    It's horrible. In the context in which I thoroughly enjoyed ocean eyes and atbab, I liked midsummer station to a degree but this album is awful. It doesn't sound a thing like the owl city I fell in love with in 2010 and it isn't even evolving or changing his sound, it's just very bland, lazy and sounds like most of the crap music nowadays. I cant get over the fact that he gave up on theIt's horrible. In the context in which I thoroughly enjoyed ocean eyes and atbab, I liked midsummer station to a degree but this album is awful. It doesn't sound a thing like the owl city I fell in love with in 2010 and it isn't even evolving or changing his sound, it's just very bland, lazy and sounds like most of the crap music nowadays. I cant get over the fact that he gave up on the weird, quirky lyrics he used to have for these new, unoriginal, repetitive crap. Disappointing.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
53

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. AllMusic
    Jul 20, 2015
    60
    Young still doesn't do darkness as well as light but Mobile Orchestra shows a willingness to grow and change that makes it the most complete portrait of Owl City's music yet.
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  2. Boston Globe
    Jul 10, 2015
    50
    These carefully manicured, melodic songs are much too transparent and lightweight, though, to leave much of an impression.
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  3. New York Daily News (Jim Faber)
    Jul 10, 2015
    40
    The artist widened his palette this time, bringing in the country singer Jake Owen on one track, and soul star Aloe Blacc on a song that aims to repeat the magic Blacc struck on Aviici’s “Wake Me Up.” Unfortunately, Young’s nerdy sensibility kills that.
    Read full review
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