OK Go Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
The anxious and modern children of indie rock and new wave, OK Go will always have something you can love. In 2002 it was a squelchy, three-minute summation of what made the Pixies great called "Get Over It." Three years later it's a savvy batch of songs that are probably too calculated for their own good -- perfectly arranged like those natty suits the quartet wears in Oh No's photos -- but too prickly with excitement to really ignore. As tense and bursting as it is hooky and efficient, "Do What You Want" sounds a lot like the Hives. But it could also be a sly and modern Escape Club. This continues with "Here It Goes Again" and "Good Idea at the Time," songs that cut too jaggedly to be opportunistic revivalism but still whir with new wave's wiggy energy. Fans of OK Go's first album will love "No Sign of Life" and the weirder "Oh Lately It's So Quiet," while "Crash the Party"'s 1000-watt tingle is more the speed of Oh No. Sometimes that speed does seem factory-set, though. "Million Ways" is where the album's calculated feel really surfaces. Its modified disco swagger and three-note guitar lead is so perfect for 21st century modern rock, so edgy and hooky all at the same time. (Keep in mind: Franz Ferdinand producer Tore Johansson also handled the boards for Oh No.) "Television, Television" too, with its trash culture referential lyrics and hyper rhythms, winks with a knowing sense. But what are you going to do? OK Go has written an album that coats its incredibly accessible nuts and bolts with an effervescent rocket sauce, and that's just the way it is. It's got that unique zing, the one that says "modern rock sensation!" on the label. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
OK Go's self-titled debut is a full-throttle, no-holds-barred pop/rock candy dispenser programmed to seize the attentions and affections of its customers through the sheer intoxicating power of its confections. Nearly every track has the sound of a smoldering powerhouse radio single: tireless charismatic energy, unforgettable hooks and harmonies, electric guitars ablaze in a tightly controlled house fire, and lyrics carved with razor-sharp sarcastic wit. If the album seems like a thinly veiled attempt to conquer the world, well, why not? The members of OK Go clearly have the goods to make themselves wildly famous and monumentally wealthy without altering their fundamental character. After all, their chief operating principle seems to be that rock music can be smart and fun at once. In addition to their self-evident appeal to the adolescent consumers who rule pop radio -- they have the raw sex appeal of the Backstreet Boys, the ebullient energy of Hanson, and the wacky alternative rock vibe of Weezer -- OK Go has also established an ability to attract intellectual adult modern rock fans. National Public Radio celebrities Ira Glass and Gretchen Helfrich are enthusiastic supporters of the band, and geek rock king John Flansburgh (They Might Be Giants) was so impressed by OK Go that he became the group's manager. Their harmonies often draw from Queen, and their biting lyrics ("you could've been a genius if you had an axe to grind") sometimes recall Elvis Costello. OK Go recorded an edgier, more inventive version of this record, but discarded it out of fear that it would be labeled as an art rock act. This version is direct, unpretentious, and eminently radio-ready (Glen Ballard would approve). But it relies on relatively simple musicianship, leaving the impression of a talented band held temporarily in check by its commercial aspirations. These are great songs. But it seems the OK Go game plan is to make sure the world's been conquered before the group puts together a truly great album. ~ Evan Cater, All Music Guide
