pop*eye...Owl City—All Things Bright And Beautiful (2011)

POP*EYE
***

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— from Minnesota —

Owl City
All Things Bright And Beautiful (2011)

*I proud to highly
Recommended!*

"Reality is a lovely place, but I wouldn't want to live there," Owl City's Adam Young sings on his new album, clearly outlining the underlying escapist emotion that inspired the record. The aptly-titled "All Things Bright And Beautiful" is the much-anticipated follow up to 2009's "Ocean Eyes" that shot up the album charts after the massive global success of his hit single "Fireflies."

Deeply rooted in hyper-melodic synth pop, Young is a master at crafting pristine and feel-good pop gems. The singer, who is notoriously shy and famously talented, uses his music to paint a whimsical world of butterflies, angels, astronauts, bees and sunny skies that is loaded with an uplifting message of hope and imagination.

On "All Things Bright And Beautiful," this modern-day Christopher Cross challenged himself to divert a little from his signature synth pop sound by successfully exploring a few new sonic textures that may surprise some. Good examples are his gentle experimentations with hip hop on "Alligator Sky" (that features Los Angeles MC Shawn Christopher) and the Euro dance pop stylings of "The Yacht Club" that he recorded with Lights' singer Valerie Poxleitner.

But Owl City truly shines when delivering delicate and romantic pop tracks like "Galaxies," "Angels" and "Hospital Flowers" that should please the same crowd that embraced "Fireflies" in a such a big way.

Very personal is the song "January 28, 1986" that includes a sample of a memorial speech U.S. president Reagan delivered after the space shuttle Challenge disaster. Young was born in 1986 and he wrote the song to convey what it was like to be from the year that was marked by such a big national tragedy.

Regardless of his mild sonic experimentations, Young never strays too far from the sound that resonated with so many. "All Things Bright And Beautiful" delivers exactly the dreamy and joyous sunburst pop that his fans crave for. It may at times be formulaic to some, but endlessly imaginative to most.

Porta's Rating

5 of 10

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“Soppy nostalgia that bares little else!”

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*Porta's favourite!*

It’s been eight years since the release of The Postal Service’s ‘Give Up’, and we’ve still got wannabes channeling their inner Gibbard while vying for the title of most emotionally over the top. Owl City’s no different with his gooey, nostalgic third offering that once again drips with saccharine-sweet sentimentality, the musical equivalent of overhearing tweens wax poetic at the mall.

Attempts at “stirring” imagery (‘Angels’, ‘Honey And The Bee’) to articulate the thoughts of a man in love find you wondering if throwing grenadine on the record player might get the point across more quickly.

—Owl City - Live From Los Angeles is available on DVD and Blu-Ray on February 7th! Pre-order your copy here.!

—RECENT +live SESSION
Catch up with previous +live sessions of A COSY SOUNDTRACK FOR WEEKEND Series

+LIVE SESSION 03
13 February 2010

"My personal favorite
artist always!"

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“And colours don't even mean anything!”


the portastylistic

Celebrating 2 years+LIVE: A COSY SOUNDTRACK FOR WEEKEND+Live Session 96

A COSY SOUNDTRACK
FOR WEEKEND
+LIVE SESSION 96

portastudio

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For this special session 96 we hear for Celebrating 2 years+Live show
of A Cosy soundtrack for weekend, while a songwriter,
with a gift for melody, insightful and understated lyrics, and an expressive,
affecting voice. We welcome our favourite a songwriter's
Ron Sexsmith and his band to the show to perform a live music set.

The Cosy weekend playlist brings together exclusive live music
from our favourite Artists around the world throughout for
the Quiet night life of weekend and it’s time to find something
special for your loved ones.

ARTIST
THIS WEEK IN PLAYLIST

— Ron Sexsmith
Ronald Eldon (Ron) Sexsmith (born January 8, 1964) is a Canadian
singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Ontario, currently based in Toronto.
Sexsmith started his first band at 14. His first five albums are generally
melancholic folk-pop with simple, elegant melodies,
accentuated use of guitars and economic application of other instruments.
On his sixth album, Cobblestone Runway, producer Martin Terefe
changed the style to include a more lavish use of synthesizers.
Retriever is considered his most “poppy” album.

With Time Being, however, he has proven that he hasn’t forgotten
his roots as a folky singer-songwriter.Top songs are Secret Heart
(well covered by Feist) and Strawberry Blonde
(sublime economic evocative narrative lyrics).
Time Being was released in 2006 and he’s since released
Exit Strategy For The Soul in 2008.

By the Soundtrack Weekend inaugural music guideline with exclusive
live music from Portastudio's playlist, so conclude+Live music performing
at the perfect way and welcome to your life join with the cosy music
performs a set of songs on your cosy weekend night!

{01} 'Late Bloomer' | {02} 'Former Glory' | {03} 'Love Shines'

{04} 'Whatever It Takes' | {05} 'Secret Heart' | {06} 'Everyday I Write the Book'

{07} 'This Impossible World' | {08} 'Strawberry Blonde'
{09} 'Get In Line' | {10} 'The Reason Why'

{11} 'Believe It When I See It' | {12} 'Eye Candy'
{13} 'Hard Bargain' | {14} 'Not about to lose'

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—RECENT +live SESSION

ARCHIVES

Catch up with previous +live sessions of A COSY SOUNDTRACK FOR WEEKEND Series

+LIVE SESSION 95
21 January 2012
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SPECIAL*NIGHT+LIVE SESSION 94
31 December 2011
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Listen to A COSY SOUNDTRACK FOR WEEKEND
ALL +LIVE SESSION REVIEW
...................................................................................


—ABOUT A COSY PLAYLIST

In 2010, the Portastudio Playlist proud to presents A Cosy Soundtrack For Weekend+live Session, Is a cosy music smart playlist and feature interviews. From our panel which also includes selected by the Portastylistic. We focus on the inaugural music guideline, Our favourite musical talent with exclusive live music from around the world to the week ahead.

This Cosy life night weekend for your experience cosy music playlist with some familiar on your cosy night in pop sensation. our panel which also includes selected by the Portastylistic.

A Cosy Soundtrack For Weekend+live Session goes live every Saturday at 8pm. Bkk, Thailand time on Mixpod and right here at theportastylistic.blogspot.com.

***

Some rights reserved

PORTASTUDIO PLAYLIST
A COSY SOUNDTRACK FOR WEEKEND +LIVE SESSION
BY
The PORTASTYLISTIC


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“EVERYDAY HAS A SOUNDTRACK!”

-the portastylistic

PortaStyle Guide....WOOD WOOD—THE KINGDOM A/W 2012/13 COLLECTION

WOOD WOOD
‘THE KINGDOM’

AUTUMN/WINTER 2012/13 COLLECTION!

THE KINGDOM A/W 2012/13
— MEN’S COLLECTION!

© by Wood Wood

THE KINGDOM A/W 2012/13
— WOMEN’S COLLECTION!

© by Wood Wood

WOOD WOOD’s Autumn/Winter 2012/13 collection inspiration comes from the British college culture, the campus feeling and royal formalities of Britain. Ideas occurred from several trips to London where streets are teeming with uniformed pupils at that time of day when school finishes.

The formal and sublime atmosphere around Buckingham Palace is a strong foundation in the design approach to »The Kingdom« collection. The main inspiration combined with WOOD WOOD aesthetics form a strong and wearable collection of fashionable basics.


WOOD WOOD Website

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“Glory Glory Britain!”


the portastylistic