aaamusic | On 18, Oct 2010

‘Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky’ starts off in a way that may be unfamiliar to many OK Go fans, the sound is more experimental than the usual radio friendly rock that they produce. This is certainly not a bad thing; the falsetto vocals textured against heavy riffs and synths is actually pretty exciting and work towards making ‘WTF?’ an absolutely fantastic opener to the record.

The theme continues throughout the album where it feels as though OK Go have somehow turned a corner on this record. They no longer rely on the chorus as the master, instead listeners are treated to a band playing with genre in a way that they have not previously and it is a treat to hear. ‘This Too Shall Pass’ is an absolute sledgehammer of a track with hints of psychadelia at the same time as a good old fashioned rock beat.

The best thing that one could say about this album is that it is an incredibly interesting record. There is seamless movement from influence to influence but at the same time a sense of cohesion which is at times confusing! ‘All is Not Lost’ and ‘Needing/Getting’ seem to work as a pair with the former providing an almost ghostly ambience foreshadowing the brilliance of the later track. ‘Needing/ Getting’ works so well simply because of an almost beautiful half way split in the song. The first three minutes are full of glittering guitars whilst the last two minutes are so subtle that they wouldn’t be out of place on an Air CD. It is this ability to contrast guitar music with such sparse and beautiful harmonies that shows this album as a departure for the band, it really is fantastic stuff.

‘Skyscrapers’ is the track that shows the departure that the band have made on this album with a real stripped back approach that just lets it shine. At times OK Go have been criticized for trying to pack in too many textures and sounds to the extent that the result is too ‘in your face.’ ‘Skyscrapers’ is the antithesis of this former sound; It is almost avant-garde with the inclusion of noises that one might not necessarily consider as being intrinsically musical and letting Kulash’s vocals shine.

‘White Knuckles’ is almost a relief when it comes as it allows you a bit of headspace after the previous intense track. Not only is ‘White Knuckles’ catchy but it sutures the new, inventive OK Go to their old selves in a way which is actually rather nice. ‘I Want You So Bad I Can’t Breathe’ is a similar story continuing the new forms that the band have taken in whilst at the same time proving that they can write songs to sing along to.

The influence of producer Dave Friddman on the album is clear with the blend of electronics with gorgeous pop harmonies in a style reminiscent of MGMT and The Flaming Lips, two groups which he has previously worked with. ‘End Love’ and ‘Before The Earth Was Round’ are probably the prime example of this new electronic aspect to OK Go’s music although the latter arguably carries it off more successfully. The vocals are distorted with vocoder which gives the track a really weird sound that is undeniably interesting.

‘Last Leaf’ contrasts so heavily with what has come before it that it stands out like a sore thumb but in the best possible way. The instrumental is stripped back and the sound is just of the pureness of Kulash’s vocal backed against an acoustic guitar. It is a welcome moment of honesty on an album which moves all over the place and it just allows the listener a little pause to just listen to the music that is being presented; to sit back and enjoy. This changes almost completely for ‘Back From Kathmundo’ which moves between a sort of psychedelic romanticism and an all out riot that blends together in such a cohesive way that it seems almost impossible to tell where the changes are happening.

‘While You Were Asleep’ relies on bare synth but the vocal here feels very honest once again which is refreshing from a band who always felt like they were making the music they felt that they should rather than the music that they actually wanted to. There is great cohesion between the end of this track into ‘In The Glass’ with an incredibly strong drum beat that almost feels like an introduction to the closing track. This track is at times theatrical and almost feels like the backing to a burlesque but it’s the perfect ending to the album and a proof of the breadth that this album has managed to cover in such a short playing time.

The second disc doesn’t particularly add much to the sound of the album as a whole although it is interesting to hear the demos and see how they have progressed over time. The ‘Last Leaf’ demo, for example, is a real treat but a cover of The Pixie’s ‘Gigantic’ feels slightly unnecessary.

Those who have cast the group of as a novelty act because of their focus on their videos may have to assess their viewpoint after a listen to ‘Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky’ which is a master class in variation. The band are unrecognizable from their last effort and whilst this may not be remembered as the band’s greatest record, it is the record that indicates just how much OK Go have to offer.

Author: Josie Payne