No.51 - ‘An Aeroplane Carried Me To Bed’, by Sky Sailing/Adam Young (2010)

“The old world was dying while we took our flying; Like peregrine falcons beneath the transparent blue waves, far below the surf; And we spent the hours with submarine flowers; I knew I'd remember that day in November, as we felt alive again…”

When I first heard Owl City on the radio, I could swear it was Matthew Thiessen, the singer of one of my favourite bands. After buying Ocean Eyes on CD, I was amazed to see that he featured on the album and helped co-write many of the songs. Turns out that Relient K are a huge influence on Adam Young. Although the Owl City works are his most popular, the lesser known Sky Sailing is my favourite.

The primary draw for me was an intriguing sound that I’d never heard before in music. It was totally unique. Adam Young’s vocals, the melodies and almost fairytale/dreamlike themes and innocence to his songs were an instant hit with me. This is the exact same feel on this release.

Owl City albums are full of synth and effects, whereas Sky Sailing is an acoustic album, played on guitar, piano and drums, with the odd synth thrown in for effect. And that’s the main difference. It’s so wonderful to hear Young’s style played with acoustic instruments and it’s the only reason that Owl City’s Ocean Eyes isn’t in the list. The songs are more laidback and relaxing and, in my opinion, would appeal to a wider audience. He is also a fantastic musician. Wonderful guitar picking and rhythm throughout the album. If you like his hit songs like ‘Fireflies’, you will love this album. 

Adam Young started making music for his Owl City project in 2007 and gained a large following on Myspace. He states that the only thing more important to him than making music is his Christian faith. Sky Sailing is a collection of early songs composed by Adam Young before his Owl City albums. It reached no.30 in the US charts. It has been released on vinyl and is incredibly rare to find.

Favourite songs - Explorers, Brielle, Alaska, A Little Opera Goes A Long Way

Other great albums - [as Owl City] Ocean Eyes (2009), All Thing Bright And Beautiful (2011)