It’s been more than two years since Ok Go released their self-titled debut album and you know you missed them. I sure did.
Come on how could you forget the single “Get Over It” with it’s witty lyrics “Makes you sick, makes you ill, makes you cheat, slipping change from the till” and a video that featured the cute indie rockers playing ping pong.
Oh No<./i> is way overdue, but does not disappoint in the least bit. Less pop and more rock is their new motto. What’s more rock’n’roll than the cowbell and you know these boys did not leave it out. They are more guitar-driven than ever, but they have not lost their sugary sweetness that they are known for.
It’s pretty clear that they have adopted a Strokes-meets-Prince sound without leaving their quick lyrics behind from the first track to the last. Track 4 offers up “A Good Idea At the Time,” which is a perfect example of this rock and pop fusion.
Singer Damian Kulash drips rock’n’roll when he delivers the lyrics “Come on, come on” and oozes wit with the lines “The demon in the design sounded like a good idea at the time.”
These boys from Chicago have matured in their musicianship and it shines in this album.
I guess that’s what they have been doing on their break, so we can forgive them for taking so long.
Not only have they matured musically, but also topically.
Leaving behind somewhat elementary subject matter in their first album they have explored more grown up issues in their sophomore release.
“Oh Lately It’s So Quiet” stood out to me the most with the posing question if you aren’t haunting my house then “Whose name are you hissing, whose face are you kissing, and whose fist are clenching”.
It’s pretty simple Oh No is clever rock’n’roll at it’s finest for young men and women who are thinkers, aka bright kids who enjoy witty music.

Author