[4][5] Young hinted after the conclusion of the Scores project that work on Owl City had resumed and a new album was in progress; this was revealed, on October 30, 2017, to be Cinematic.

[6] Young distinguished Cinematic from existing Owl City releases by stating that its content would center around events from his life rather than ethereal concepts (he clarified after the album's release that all prior Owl City work "was pure imagination," and Cinematic was "the first album [to] hold songs written from a personal perspective").

[12] The reel itself was released on February 2, including, in addition to "Lucid Dream," "Montana" and a new electric version of "Not All Heroes Wear Capes.

[19] Cinematic and its preceding reels were released on Sky Harbor Records, an independent label owned by Young, confirming the end of Owl City's affiliation with Universal Republic.

(All albums from the Scores project had been released on Sky Harbor, but under Young's own name, not as Owl City.)

Matt Conner of CCM Magazine stated, "If you're already a fan of Owl City's easygoing synthpop structures, you'll find lots to like here."

"[24] Christopher Smith of Jesus Freak Hideout remarked, "Many tracks start and end without leaving a lasting impression, but nonetheless put you in a good mood due to the cheerful synth pop soundscapes and optimistic lyrics."

"[8] Sameen Amer of The News International gave a mixed review for the album stating, "Cinematic, continues in search of another irresistible banger but falls fairly short as he treads familiar grounds on this overlong set.

However, he praised the song "House Wren" for its "twinkling beat and bird sounds" that will, "generate smiles on some faces.