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okgoofthebluecolour

Artist: OK Go
Album: Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky
Label: Capitol
Release Date: January 12, 2010

Prior to listening to Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky, my sole exposure to the band OK Go consisted of the infamous treadmill video for their single “Here It Goes Again” off the band’s second studio album, Oh No (2005), and the “A Million Ways” video that became a viral Internet phenomenon back in 2005. One of the reasons listeners have been attracted to OK Go’s music, which can be described as intelligent power pop, since the release of their self-titled debut album, OK Go, in 2002, is the unpredictable nature of the band’s music — something that didn’t appeal to me in the past.

Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky is no exception, although this time around OK Go may succeed in alienating some of their existing fan base with songs like “WTF?”, the album’s introductory single. “WTF?” is one track off OK Go’s new album that inevitably will expand the band’s fan following. Those fans interested in hearing more of the same type of pop rock that characterized the band’s previous studio albums may be disappointed. Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky is an eclectic mix that has many characteristics of electronic pop integrated into what might otherwise be pop rock songs. Overall, Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky sounds like the bastard offspring of Prince and The Killers with a significant dose of the vocal style of Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine — that is, when OK Go lead singer Damian Kulash isn’t imitating the infamous falsetto style of Prince, circa 1986.

In addition to its similarities to Prince and The Killers, several tracks from Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky are reminiscent of other popular musicians and artists — most notably in track 11, “Back from Kathmandu,” which channels the classic rock style of The Doors, and track 5, “Skyscrapers,” which most clearly channels the vocal prowess of Adam Levine (Maroon 5). Although OK Go may be using Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky as a musical dressing room for trying on the sounds of other artists, the majority of the tracks on the album still feature the signature electro-pop style that fans have come to know and love over the past eight years. Unlike some of their previous work, however, several tracks from Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky features symphonic vocals familiar to fans of electronica and pure electro-pop genres, with the exception of tracks 10, “Last Leaf,” and 12, “While You Were Asleep,” which abandon this vocal style in favor of pop rock vocals that longtime fans are sure to enjoy.

OK Go’s Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky is an interesting collection of music that probably will appeal to virtually any listener depending on their mood and state of mind. The album, which hit stores on January 12, 2010, received mixed reviews thus far, with some die-hard OK Go fans citing the fundamental differences between the band’s latest work and original style as detrimental to their sound, while many listeners who were ambivalent about the band have become more engrossed in the tracks on Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky. I enjoyed listening to the album; however, it wouldn’t be the first thing I would turn to when I want to relax — it’s more of a gym soundtrack, in my opinion.

Little-Known Fact: The title of OK Go’s latest album, Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky, as well as its lyrics and concept, are based on a pseudoscientific book published in 1876 titled The Influence of the Blue Ray of the Sunlight and of the Blue Colour of the Sky.