An Airplane Carried Me to Bed | |
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Studio album by | |
Released | July 13, 2010 |
Recorded | 2007 |
Genre | |
Length | 38:35 |
Label | Universal Republic |
Producer | Adam Young |
Singles from An Airplane Carried Me to Bed | |
|
An Airplane Carried Me to Bed is the first and only album by Sky Sailing, a project by Adam Young. The album comprises some of his early recordings from before he started Owl City. It was made available for streaming on July 9, 2010, [2] before the album was released digitally on July 13 [3] and released physically on July 27 via Universal Republic. [4]
Following the breakout success of Ocean Eyes in 2009, Adam Young announced that he would be re-launching his previous side project Sky Sailing. [5] Young explained the record stating,
"These recordings are a step into the past, the documented account of a shy boy from Minnesota with more hopes and dreams than he knew what to do with. I am so very excited to share it with you." [5]
The album was recorded in the summer of 2007 according to Young. [6]
Upon his return to Sky Sailing, Young uploaded two tracks on MySpace, "Brielle" and "I Live Alone". [7] On the release date of the album, Young also released two singles, "Brielle" as the lead single, [8] and "A Little Opera Goes a Long Way" for a free download. [9] [10] An accompanying music video for the "Brielle" premiered on July 28, 2010 via VEVO. [11] "Tennis Elbow" was released on July 22, 2010 for a free download on his newsletter. [12] "Flowers of the Field" was released as the third and final single on July 27, 2010. [13]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
Alternative Press | [14] |
Billboard | [15] |
Entertainment Weekly | B [16] |
HM | [17] |
Jesus Freak Hideout | [18] |
Newsday | B [1] |
New York Post | [19] |
Rolling Stone | [20] |
An Airplane Carried Me to Bed was generally well received by music critics. Scott Fryberger of Jesus Freak Hideout gave a positive review stating, "Young handles his lyrics so well, with some of the best lyricism you could find in pop music." He praised songs such as "A Little Opera Goes A Long Way", "Captains of the Sky", and "Brielle". He also compared the acoustic sound to indie rock band Death Cab For Cutie. [18] However, he was critical of the melodies remarking, "as good as they are, almost feel copy-and-pasted." [18] Billboard magazine stated, "Straying from the electronic-laced whimsical themes of Owl City, Young takes a more simple, honest approach to song-writing with Sky Sailing, resulting in a more lyrically grounded effort." Billboard called the song, "Tennis Elbow", as the "catchy standout track" and also called the album, "Young's more vulnerable side." [15] Mikael Wood of Entertainment Weekly remarked, "On An Airplane Carried Me to Bed he uses more acoustic guitar than keyboard, but the wide-eyed sentiment of these dreamy lost-love songs is tweenpleasingly familiar." [16] Glenn Gamboa of Newsday called the album "a more conventional indie-pop album." [1]
Heather Phares of AllMusic gave a mixed review of the album stating, "Young's basic approach remains the same not just from project to project, but from song to song." She also added, "There aren't many peaks and valleys here, although 'Tennis Elbow' shows hints of Owl City, 'Take Me Somewhere Nice' blossoms from playful electric pianos to accordions on its choruses, and 'A Little Opera Goes a Long Way' shows off Young's guitar solo skills." [4] Katie Toms of The Guardian stated, "'Brielle' is pretty, but essentially this is an album of excess material for the (admittedly legion) committed fans." [21] Dan Aquilante of the New York Post stated, "The melodies are gentle, often veering toward lullabies... It should please Owl City fans even if the arrangements are simpler because it still carries Young's gift at pulling heartstrings." He praised the songs "Brielle" and "A Little Opera Goes a Long Way" calling them the standout tracks. [19] P.F. Wilson of Cincinnati CityBeat stated there are "enough gems here to make it worthwhile." [22]
An Airplane Carried Me to Bed debuted at No. 30 on the Billboard 200 and was one of the most-downloaded new albums on the week it was released. [23] [24] The album sold upwards to 15,000 copies in the US in its first week. [3] To date, the album has sold 26,000 copies. [25] The lead track "Captains of the Sky" peaked at number 19 on the US Rock Digital Song Sales chart and number 119 on the South Korean GAON International chart. [26] [27]
All tracks are written by Adam Young
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Captains of the Sky" | 2:44 |
2. | "Brielle" | 4:06 |
3. | "Steady as She Goes" | 2:37 |
4. | "Explorers" | 4:10 |
5. | "A Little Opera Goes a Long Way" | 3:49 |
6. | "Tennis Elbow" | 3:45 |
7. | "Blue and Red" | 3:40 |
8. | "Alaska" | 2:37 |
9. | "I Live Alone" | 4:05 |
10. | "Take Me Somewhere Nice" | 2:48 |
11. | "Sailboats" | 4:19 |
Total length: | 38:35 |
No. | Title | Length |
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12. | "Flowers of the Field" | 3:55 |
"Sailboats", was first released under another project 'Seagull Orchestra' but was re-recorded and changed somewhat for release under Sky Sailing. The title of the album was also taken from this track, the lyrics for which can be heard at the start of one of the verses in the song.
Sky Sailing
Additional musicians and production
Chart (2010) | Peak position |
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Japanese Albums (Oricon) [28] | 138 |
South Korean Albums (Circle) [29] | 84 |
Taiwanese Albums (Five Music) [30] | 8 |
US Billboard 200 [23] | 30 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [31] | 6 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [32] | 11 |
Owl City is an American electronic music project created in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. It is one of several projects by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young, who created the project while experimenting with music in his parents' basement. Owl City developed a following on the social networking site Myspace, like many musicians who achieved success in the late 2000s, before signing with Universal Republic Records, now Republic Records, in 2008.
Ocean Eyes is the second studio album by American electronica project Owl City, released on July 14, 2009, by Universal Republic Records. It features a photograph of the Burj Al Arab as its album artwork. A vinyl edition was released, followed by a deluxe edition available on January 26, 2010. The deluxe edition incorporates four new tracks, including a remix of "Hello Seattle". The album contains guest vocals by Relient K vocalist Matt Thiessen on the songs "Fireflies", "Cave In", "The Bird and the Worm", and "Tidal Wave".
"Fireflies" is the debut single from American electronica project Owl City's album Ocean Eyes. Frontman Adam Young wrote the track about seeing fireflies in his hometown of Owatonna, Minnesota while he was awake with insomnia. Matt Thiessen produced the song and provided guest vocals. The song is built around a "bleepy" synthline and includes lyrics about insomnia, fireflies and summer.
Maybe I'm Dreaming is the debut studio album by American electronica project Owl City, released on March 17, 2008. Despite having been self-released and not recorded by any major producer, it managed to reach the top 20 of the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
Of June is the first EP by American electronic music project Owl City. It was uploaded by Adam Young to his Myspace page on August 29, 2007. The EP was released digitally on December 16, 2008.
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The discography of American electronica project Owl City consists of seven studio albums, eight extended plays, twenty-six singles, and twenty-five music videos. Owl City issued his debut release, the extended play Of June, in September 2007; it peaked at number 15 on the United States Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart. His debut studio album Maybe I'm Dreaming followed in December 2008, peaking at number 13 on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Following the success of Of June and Maybe I'm Dreaming, Young signed to Universal Republic Records in late 2008. His second studio album and major-label debut, Ocean Eyes, was released in July 2009. "Fireflies", the album's lead single, became an international success, peaking at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and becoming a top ten hit in several other countries. In correlation with the success of "Fireflies", Ocean Eyes peaked at number eight on the US Billboard 200 and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). An additional two singles were released from the album: "Vanilla Twilight" and "Umbrella Beach".
All Things Bright and Beautiful is the third studio album by the American electronica project Owl City. It was released on June 14, 2011, by Universal Republic Records. Despite receiving mixed critical reviews, it became a commercial success, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard 200.
"Alligator Sky" is a song by American electronica project Owl City from his third studio album All Things Bright and Beautiful. It was released as the lead single from the album on March 22, 2011. Four versions of the song were released: The first features Californian rapper Shawn Chrystopher, the second version omits Chrystopher's vocals, a third version featuring Atlanta rapper B.o.B leaked online, and a fourth version featuring vocals by Big Boi of Atlanta hip-hop duo OutKast also leaked online. The song debuted at the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Electronic Track chart.
"Galaxies" is a song by American electronica act Owl City, released on April 19, 2011. It is the second single from his third studio album, All Things Bright and Beautiful.
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"Good Time" is a song by American electronica project Owl City and Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released on June 26, 2012, as the lead single from Owl City's album The Midsummer Station and was used as the second single from Jepsen's second studio album, Kiss. "Good Time" was written by Matt Thiessen, Brian Lee, and Adam Young of Owl City. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, with critics describing it as a "summer anthem".
"Lonely Lullaby" is a song by American electronica project Owl City from his third studio album All Things Bright and Beautiful (2011). Originally released as a fan club exclusive in March 2011, the song is not included on the album itself. It was released digitally on July 19, 2011 through Universal Republic Records as the third single from All Things Bright and Beautiful.
"Shooting Star" is a song by American electronica project Owl City from his second extended play of the same name. The song premiered exclusively via Billboard on May 10, 2012, before it was released as the lead single from the EP on May 15, 2012. The song peaked at No. 176 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 49 on the Japan Hot 100. It was featured twice in the 2013 animated film Escape from Planet Earth.
Kiss is the second studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released on September 14, 2012, by 604, Schoolboy and Interscope Records. After her debut, Tug of War (2008), was only released in Canada, Kiss became Jepsen's first internationally released album. Songs on the album are in the nu-disco, dance-pop, and teen pop genres, drawing inspiration from the Cars, Madonna and Robyn. Featuring production from a wide collection of producers including Dallas Austin, Josh Ramsay, and Redfoo, the album features guest vocals from Justin Bieber and Owl City.
"When Can I See You Again?" is a song by American electronica project Owl City from the 2012 Walt Disney Animation Studios film Wreck-It Ralph. It was written and produced by Adam Young, with additional writing from Matt Thiessen and Brian Lee. The song was made available for streaming on October 6, 2012 via AOL Music.
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Adam Randal Young is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the founder and sole member of electronica project Owl City. Outside of Owl City, Young has recorded music under different musical projects, most notably Port Blue and Sky Sailing. In addition to these works, Young was part of the electronica band Swimming With Dolphins and post-rock band Windsor Airlift.