The Midsummer Station (CD)

Infectious electronica-pop project Owl City returns with The Midsummer Station, the act's fourth album and third for Universal Republic. After jettisoning onto the charts and into mainstream culture with 2009's breakthrough hit "Fireflies," Owl City main man Adam Young produced a less glowingly received All Things Bright and Beautiful in 2010, and takes the production in a serious upswing on The Midsummer Station. It's a collaboration-heavy affair, featuring production and songwriting assistance from big-budget names like Stargate (Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa), Robopop (Maroon 5), and Emily Wright as well as cameo appearances by blink-182's Mark Hoppus and 2012 radio sensation Carly Rae Jepsen. The album, slated for a late August release in the U.S. and a mid-September street date in the U.K., was preceded by a series of promotional tactics leading up to its release. The four-song teaser Shooting Star EP as well as a single for the summery party anthem "Good Time" preceded the album, and Owl City offered fans a chance to unlock the cover art months ahead of the album's release through interacting with his Facebook page., Rovi