OK Go Hops Off The Treadmill To Reach For The Sky
Psychedelic potpourri of sounds permeate Ok Go's new effort.
OK Go
Of The Blue Color Of The Sky
Released on Jan 12, 2010
After a mere 47 million views on YouTube along with countless showings in other venues, it’s safe to say that OK Go is probably best known for the “Here it Goes Again” video which featured exorbitant and creative use of treadmills. The challenge for any artist that finds itself in an unexpected pop culture whirlwind like the one that surrounded OK Go’s video, is figuring out what comes next. On their new release Of the Blue Color of the Sky, the band chooses to showcase their musicianship as opposed to the potentially appealing option of chasing after the status of pop culture icons by releasing a bunch of sellout pop songs.
For those only familiar with the band’s video exercise routine, their history goes back to summer camp at age 11 where founding members Damian Kulash and Tim Norwind met. The singer/guitarist and bassist respectively would meet drummer Dan Konopka in college but not form OK Go until many years later, finally beginning to record under that moniker in 1999. Eventually the Chicago-based group was rounded out in 2005 with the addition of guitarist and keyboard player Andy Ross.
To list the vast number of influences that permeate the new release would take up way too many pages on the limited resource known as the internet. While the list would start with Prince, it would go on to include Pink Floyd, late-era Beatles, Lenny Kravitz, The Kinks and many others. The title, Of the Blue Color of the Sky, refers to a belief dating back the 1800’s that blue light had healing power. Hopefully, that power is strong enough to mend the wounds of the relationship chronicled in these songs, which by the end of the work has clearly come to a bitter demoralizing end.
I purposely said relationship (singular) and not relationships (plural) because, while this maybe my imagination, the songs seem to chronicle the life of an ill-fated romance. The attraction starts with track one, “WTF,” where Kulash proclaims to the person in question, “There’s just this thing about you.” The following songs could be a description of the couple coming together, having their first fight and the ensuing apologies. The middle part of the release is a little unremarkable – sort of like the uneventful middle of a relationship - but by track 10, “Last Leaf,” the relationship ends and the grieving begins. The power and despair of the last four songs is very strong and possibly the best part of the album.
Overall the production is excellent and the musicianship is quite good but some songs have long psychedelic passages that seem out-of-place and unnecessary. A few tracks like “White Knuckles” and “I Want You So Bad I Can’t Breathe” should be remixed for club goers, but the real reward for fans is in the power and despair of the last few songs. While not likely to be a breakthrough pop release, Of the Blue Color of the Sky is definitely a unique sounding project that pays great homage to late 60’s psychedelia and 70’s soul.
High Point
Well produced mix of dance grooves and psychedelic sounds.
Low Point
The album is too long with a number of tracks and extraneous passages that could have been cut.
Posted by Mike Stern on Jan 13, 2010 @ 9:05 am
