Music Review: Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen "Good Time"

Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen

Good Time

Album: The Midsummer Station

Year:  2012

   Adam Young and Carly Rae Jepsen plan to hang out together in the uptight “Good Time.”

       Peppy synths open the single, setting an optimistic tone. An abbreviated part of the chorus is sung. (“Whoa, oh/It's always a good time/Whoa, oh/It's always a good time.”)
         

      Young yawns, his head still on the pillow. The alarm dings. He hits the snooze button on his phone. Five minutes later, the alarm goes off again. He finally wakes up. It’s 7:05 pm. He’s rubbing his eyes, smiling the entire time. While walking to his kitchen, he has Prince’s “1999” on a loop, the chorus being repeated over and over in his head. It’s strange, though. He hadn’t heard the song in a long time and it just started playing in his brain. He’s at the stove, making a grilled cheese sandwich, still in his black skinny jeans and pullover sweater from the night before.  When he sets it down to cool, he texts Jepsen to see if she wants to go out again tonight. They always have fun together. He doesn’t care where they go.  (“Woke up on the right side of the bed/What's up with this Prince song inside my head?/Hands up if you're down to get down tonight/Cuz it's always a good time/Slept in all my clothes like I didn't care/Hopped into a cab, take me anywhere/I'm in if you're down to get down tonight/Cuz it's always a good time.”)

        In the pre-chorus, he explains it’s easy to have fun with her. They can end up at a beef jerky store in the middle of nowhere and still end up laughing the entire time. (“Good morning and good night/I wake up at twilight/It's gonna be alright/We don't even have to try/It's always a good time.”)

      In the chorus, he reiterates they enjoy each other’s company. (“Whoa, oh Whoa, oh/It's always a good time/Whoa, oh Whoa, oh/We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.”)

         Jepsen was with some of her friends at the hotel pool, She was sitting with her toes in the water, texting Young back. While she was giggling at a joke Young made, her other friend came over to talk to her about her boyfriend. Thinking she was by the chair, she put her phone down. It went straight into the water, falling to the bottom. After she finally got her phone back and dried off, she paid for her room and then went to the nearby ATM to grab some cash. She responds to Young that she can go out again. (“Freaked out, dropped my phone in the pool again/Checked out of my room hit the ATM/Let's hang out if you're down to get down tonight/Cuz it's always a good time.”)

   The pre-chorus is sung again.

    The chorus is sung twice.

      In the bridge, they reiterate again they both have fun while together. Then, for some reason, a group of children shout back the last “it’s always a good time.” (“Doesn't matter when/It's always a good time then/Doesn't matter where/It's always a good time there/Doesn't matter when/It's always a good time then/It's always a good time.”)

     The chorus is sung twice, with the group of children singing along until the end, providing the last “whoa, oh, it’s always a good time.”

    Young’s slow, inhibited vocals are robotic, programmed to plaster on a grin and follow planned “spontaneous” series of commands. Fun has to be organized first, which makes his whole late night partygoer persona unbelievable.

      Meanwhile, Jepsen’s impish, cozy vocals are open, inviting everyone to the party. It’s not unusual to see her with a dozen people around her, chatting away. Her devil-may-care attitude has gotten her into trouble a few times here and there, but it’s worth it. She owns the single, snatching it right from Young who is too concerned about fitting in to care.

      The obsolete synth beats (Europop, 1997) attempt to squeeze in a tight space, buzzing loudly to be freed. The most unintentional creepy moment belongs to the children, bursting in singing about partying late at night and what a joy it is. It’s likely meant to be innocent but it comes across as unnerving instead.

      The spliced “Good Time” has jagged pieces and missed stitches, causing it not to fit.