OK GO return with Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, the follow up to the wildly successful Oh No! album. If Oh No! is the album that established OK GO as rock royalty than this album will be the one that will make people immediately question that status. And I mean that in a good way.
Of the Colour of the Blue Sky is referred to by the band as their Purple Rain. While I giggled when I read that, it’s actually pretty conceivable. This is a band at the top of their game that has created an album that is wildly unique and more than a little bluesy, whispery, and a little whiny vocally (ala Prince). The album opens with the downplayed “WTF?” At first it’s a bit confusing as it’s not nearly as energetic as I was expecting and probably the weakest song on the album. “This Too Shall Pass” picks the ball back up quick like though with a semi-funky number that has a massive hook that just sucks you in called “This Too Shall Pass.” The inspirational and anthemic “All is Not Lost” cements both the fact that this is not going to be a typical sounding rock album and that OK GO have a lot on their minds both musically and lyrically this time out. The INXS-esqe “White Knuckles” is an album highlight, picking up the pace a bit and offering a pretty “funky jam” (as we used to say) and “In the Glass” showcases how massively creative this band is by offering a truly odd musical experience that rivals Lou Reed on a basic level.
I will be honest here and say that I didn’t really like this album much at first. It’s certainly not as energetic or as poppy as Oh No! and there are relatively few traditional radio friendly moments . Somewhere round about the third listen though Of the Colour of the Blue Sky started to seep into my psyche and once it got a grip it just wouldn’t (and hasn’t) let go. So, if you don’t enjoy it at first, give it a few more listens. There’s an awful lot to absorb here – much more than you get on most major label albums. You’ll be glad you gave it the extra time.
A new Purple Rain? Probably not. One of 2010’s best offerings? Definitely.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
