Of the Blue Colour of the Sky

A long-awaited CD with unexpected music

The Chicago-based four-piece formation Ok Go have been through many things on the indie-rock stage. This band was gathered as early as in the late nineties, yet its discography recently included only two long players. The Americans released their previous full-length work in 2005; and this was the album that provided the musicians with a true star life, huge venues and heavy airplay. Music lovers were blown away by the videos for its tracks A Million Ways, and Here It Goes Again. It took the rockers as long as five years to add something new from the studio to their collection. It is obvious that after all this time the musicians must have changed their creative views. The new product from Ok Go is called Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky and has a wide range of things that you do not find on the earlier CD. The first listening reveals a vivid and sad truth to those who like rock: the members of the band decided to sacrifice some portion of their guitar power for the sake of the more pop-oriented sound. Remarkably, the musicians premiered their new work saying that it has something borrowed from Prince’s influence. Anyway, the album drew much interest and attention because it was truly long and much awaited.

Indie-rock dances

Thirteen tracks lasting a little bit more than fifty minutes. You might argue that five years is a period enough to produce something more massive; but it’s quality that concerns us, nit the amount, isn’t it? And when it comes to the quality, you can only enjoy it. Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky is opened aggressively, loudly, boldly by WTF? This is exactly the track, a song with impressive bass and untamable energy, that has traces left by the above mentioned Prince. All Is Not Lost is a creative fusion of a fine tune and emotional chorus, a nice fir for dance-floors. Needing/Getting is loaded with sonic effects and leases the hearing with guitar coming in the end. The majority of the songs here sound as if these are long forgotten, or never revealed in time, hits from the epoch of the late eighties and early nineties. The melodies here are simple, yet amazingly catchy. The leading part is played by synthesizers while guitars are introduced rarely, yet effectively. The vocalist sometimes does too much with his falsetto, which forces the listener to forget the music and focus on his voice. When the singer sings in a more natural voice, it matches perfectly the whole music construction. In line with this, Last Leaf is an extraordinarily Good piece captivating with its acoustic guitar and touching lyrics.

New content, same quality

If Ok Go wanted to surprise their audience, there is no better way that this album. Yet it is hardly likely that this CD would please every fan of this band. The preceding effort was really nice; and many wished to see the following record continuing the musical ideas offered there. There may be mixed opinions about the softening the sound and getting close to the dance, club, music. However, if you judge the band objectively, you will have to give them what you owe them. The stuff they played sounds really cool. This music will certainly find its audience. It would be unfair to condemn the musicians for selling out their ideals. Indeed, this material is aimed at a massive public, a much wider audience than the one that loved the band’s earlier works. But this music has its soul, has its face. Isn’t it one of the main criteria when you evaluate a piece of music, a piece of any arts? In general, we like it. But, guys, don’t make us wait another five years, Ok?