The mind-bending band that gave us what is largely considered the decade's most viewed music video (60M clicks- even the Simpsons parodied it), the treadmillmanned "Here It Goes Again" is back. Never content to rest on the... more »ir laurels, OK GO is preparing to tread anything but familiar territory with their upcoming new album, Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky.The super creative Ok Go still has the DIY attitude and artistic vision that millions fell in love with. Innovative videos for "WTF?" and "This Too Shall Pass" Syncs for Ok Go have already debuted in Soundtracks, including NEW MOON, the second installment of The Twilight series, The 90210 soundtrack and "One Tree Hill".« less
The mind-bending band that gave us what is largely considered the decade's most viewed music video (60M clicks- even the Simpsons parodied it), the treadmillmanned "Here It Goes Again" is back. Never content to rest on their laurels, OK GO is preparing to tread anything but familiar territory with their upcoming new album, Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky.The super creative Ok Go still has the DIY attitude and artistic vision that millions fell in love with. Innovative videos for "WTF?" and "This Too Shall Pass" Syncs for Ok Go have already debuted in Soundtracks, including NEW MOON, the second installment of The Twilight series, The 90210 soundtrack and "One Tree Hill".
"This album has been in heavy rotation in my iTunes ever since it came out. I'm not a music-techie person so I can't tell you about mixing or any of that stuff. I can just tell you what I hear and what I like. This I really like. Even more than the first two albums. It wouldn't be too much to say I absolutely love it.
Yes, I was a big fan of the old Prince music to which everyone is comparing it. And if you read their bio blurb on Lala you'll see that they freely admit this album is influenced by Prince. And I catch that feeling in "White Knuckles" and maybe a little bit in "Skyscrapers".
Really, though, this sounds like the third album from a really great band - as in a band that is not afraid of growth and change even if it takes them in a new direction from what made them popular. Their sound changed. Um, yes. That's what happens when bands don't pull from the same stale formulas. If you want a band that always sounds the same go buy a half dozen Nickelback albums. If you want an album full of songs that are both catchy and full of soul, then pick up Of the Blue Colour of the Sky."
All is not lost for OK GO
LetsBurnHoles | 01/15/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ever since their 2002 self titled debut, OK Go has been a wild card pop rock player. Their music can best be classified as intelligent power pop, a label not often bestowed upon the genre. With the release of this new album, the band finds themselves inspired and ready to create a truly unique collection of songs. Damian Kulash is a musical mad scientist. His creativity is not bounded by the pressures of record labels or fans expectations. Having said that, there seems to be some controversy surrounding the direction OK Go's "sound" has taken. I disagree with the naysayers. Take a look back at songs like "A Million Ways" (from Oh No) and "There's a Fire" (from the self titled). This is the natural progression of a band who does not know how to write a bad song. I love the more funky / experimental route the band has taken, and if you give it a chance, I think you will too."
Radical departure from the band's earlier sound
Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 02/17/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"OK Go brings slightly off-center, quirky but often catchy songs, and the band's knack for great pop tunes has served them well in the past. The 2002 self-titled debut album was a breath of fresh air, but 2005's "Oh No" album proved to be the critical and commercial breakout album for the band (and containing of course the hit single "A Million Ways"). Now, 5 years after "Oh No", finally comes the band's eagerly anticipated third album.
"Of the Blue Colour of the Sky" (13 tracks; 51 min.) starts off with an unusually heavy "WTF", and after that it becomes clear very quickly that the band's sound since the previous album 5 years ago has developed (read: changed) significantly. Not nearly as eclectic or catchy, for one. A lot "busier" too. The highlights are far too few for me: a breezy "This Too Shall Past", "All Is Not Lost" entertains; a light "I Want You So Bad I Can't Breathe", and you'll notice these all appear on the first half of the album. In fact, as the album goes on, things get "weirder and weirderer". By the time you get to "Back From Kathmandu", you wonder whether this is even the same band from "A Million Ways".
In all, this is not a bad album per se, but I didn't expect such a radical departure from the band's established sound. For those that like this album, more power to ya. I'll probably stick with the first two albums. I've seen OK Go a number of times over the years, most recently last September at the Monolith music festival at the Red Rocks near Denver, and as usual, they put on a tremendously enjoyable 1 hr. set. If you wonder where you can hear these guys, check out WOXY (BAM! The Future of Rock and Roll), the internet-only station that brings the best indie-music in the country. Meanwhile, buyer beware: "Of the Blue Colour of the Sky" is not a bad album, but OK Go has been much better than this."
It's NOT OK, it's underrated
Ged | 02/14/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I am really surprised how underrated this album is. I do not really understand if everyone relied on the first critical and negative reviews here, but this album is certainly worth more than poor 3 stars.
I have been familiarized with OK Go some time ago, to be honest, i did not like them, they sounded.. ah maybe childishly. What I am saying, is that this album 'Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky' is my first real love of OK Go.
What happens the most is that bands which are releasing their third or so album are usually on their way of new sound searching. Not necessarily, but usually. Coldplay, Editors did it. While their first albums being very famous and successful, the new sound albums are immediately rejected without even deeper listen. People do not find anything familiar, anything what they have already liked, so they simply do not like it. What is sad, that sometimes really good projects are being overlooked. That's what happened to the third release of OK Go.
It is a really fine album with some really fine songs. It's melodic, catchy and new. It has some more of melancholic songs and there you have some fast and up-lifting songs. Why I like it? Well, first of all, it is not a boring record. It changes in places, it keeps you finding. But, yeah, I like that it's fresh among that irritating pop trash. Moreover, it's has some energy. You can power-up while listening to this, but also you can listen to this, basically, at any time, because like I said this album is not monotonous and has different songs with different moods.
'Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky' is really worth a try to be listened. I especially recommend it for people who like MGMT, Of Montreal, Peter Bjorn and John, Animal Collective and similar indie stuff.