They found mainstream fame in 2005 when the video of their single 'Here It Goes Again' clocked up masses of YouTube hits, thanks to their choreographed treadmill moves. But what's happened to OK Go since? Their follow-up album is a mess.
It's been four years since treadmill-loving indie kids OK Go's last album 'Oh No', and their success with the brace of brilliant singles it spawned, 'Here It Goes Again' and 'A Million Ways'. The Los Angeles-based power-poppers lost a member, gained a new one, became MTV USA darlings thanks to their cheeky dance routines, and promptly drifted into partial obscurity.
Now they're back with their third album, but OK Go still sound very much like a band in transition - a puzzling conclusion after ten years together. The quartet forfeit any sense of cohesion on 'Of the Blue Colour of the Sky' in favour of experiments in style and genre, and the result is a disappointingly scatty collection of songs.
Of course, there are several gems buried under the rubble of irritatingly buzzy synth lines: 'Needing/Getting' manages to blend bluster with a dreamy, calm guitar pop lick, 'I Want You So Bad I Can't Breathe' is a sassy, hip-shaking number with a dollop of Prince on top, and 'This Too Shall Pass' combines sunshine-pop guitar work with an almost hip-hop beat, and concludes with an elongated gospel-like vocal refrain.
Overall, though, there's just far too much thrown into this album to make it work, and fans may well be disappointed at the absence of any sprightly, danceable numbers. It's all well and good if OK Go are intent on moving forward – but they should formulate a solid plan first, rather than flying by the seat of their pants.
