OK Go
OK Go
2002 Capitol Records
OK Go is a Chicago band formed in the late 1990s that sound roughly like Hanson meets some pop-punk fetish party where everyone chews speed-laced bubblegum and pogos like a spastic junior-high ritalin victim. I picked up their eponymous debut in a cutout bin for less than 3 bucks on the sole connection that it had some guitarwork by Wendy Melvoin. I was both impressed and disappointed with what I ended up hearing. It has some above par lyrics (even downright sharp) in spots, but in other places comes off like a less glam-happy Caviar circa Tangerine Speedo. Also the musicianship is hit and miss, with some songs standing out in sharp relief against a certain sameness of filler musical backdrops. They somewhat oversimplify when a more daring approach might have served them better, and they brought in some heavy hitters: Melvoin (Prince, Seal, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Eric Clapton), Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Xtra Large), Matt Chamberlin (New Bohemians, Pearl Jam, Critters Buggin), Jon Brion (Fiona Apple) which may or may not have been pushed to their optimal utility.
But this is a good debut. It isn't sloppy, and it isn't stupid. The performances are tight and the content has a giddy if not altogether clever vibe. But its full potential was not reached.
2002 Capitol Records
OK Go is a Chicago band formed in the late 1990s that sound roughly like Hanson meets some pop-punk fetish party where everyone chews speed-laced bubblegum and pogos like a spastic junior-high ritalin victim. I picked up their eponymous debut in a cutout bin for less than 3 bucks on the sole connection that it had some guitarwork by Wendy Melvoin. I was both impressed and disappointed with what I ended up hearing. It has some above par lyrics (even downright sharp) in spots, but in other places comes off like a less glam-happy Caviar circa Tangerine Speedo. Also the musicianship is hit and miss, with some songs standing out in sharp relief against a certain sameness of filler musical backdrops. They somewhat oversimplify when a more daring approach might have served them better, and they brought in some heavy hitters: Melvoin (Prince, Seal, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Eric Clapton), Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Xtra Large), Matt Chamberlin (New Bohemians, Pearl Jam, Critters Buggin), Jon Brion (Fiona Apple) which may or may not have been pushed to their optimal utility.
But this is a good debut. It isn't sloppy, and it isn't stupid. The performances are tight and the content has a giddy if not altogether clever vibe. But its full potential was not reached.
posted by theloniusfunk at 4:14 AM
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