Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
OK Go
Capitol Records
3/5 Stars
Mention the band OK Go in conversation and they will be instantly remembered as those guys on the treadmills in the music video.
While it was a good start, the indie rockers from Chicago are working on putting that distinctive sound and image from their first two albums behind them.
Their latest release Of the Blue Colour of the Sky is a complete departure from the poppy rock sound and treadmill antics that once defined the group.
Based on an 1876 book entitled The Influence of the Blue Ray of the Sunlight and of the Blue Colour of the Sky, the record was conceptualized based on a passage from the book. The album cover represents themes from the lyrics, and each colour is representative of a different idea from the lyrics and the book passage.
As a concept album, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky is incredibly cohesive. The sound is evidently the result of the influence of the pseudoscience extolled in The Influence of the Blue Ray, and features a wider range of sound and instrumentation than OK Go’s previous efforts.
The single “WTF?” starts the album out with a bang, with spunky distorted guitar and a sound that recalls the sound of Prince in his ’80s heyday. “End Love” continues the ’80s revival, echoing both Prince and The Cars, and producing a more mature sound for the band.
Moving beyond a barebones rock sound has allowed OK Go to experiment with new sounds and create a more diverse sounding album. Amidst the influence of Prince and spectral vocal experimentations, “Last Leaf” is a short but very sweet acoustic track.
Songs like “While You Were Asleep” and “In the Glass” are full of strange, ethereal sounds and chimes, and a falsetto vocal performance from front man Damian Kulash. Although OK Go’s signature handclaps are revived on “Asleep,” this is a more mature sound for the band.
Despite the potentially restricting label of “concept album,” OK Go has managed to create a sound that is both grown up and cohesive, and never dull.