Overall Rating (Avg): 4.5

Released: 08/30/05 - 14 Tracks - (76:26) - (Capitol)

Standout Tracks: "Do What You Want", "It's a Disaster", "Television, Television"

OK Go has gone a long way from their debut self-titled album. They have graduated from an under-the-radar, one-hit-wonder band to a national phenomenon. But, I encourage you to look at all of their music in addition to watching the band move in unison to “Here it Goes Again”. This song is but a slice of the spectrum of the band’s latest, Oh No. The album is packed the brim with an excellent variety of musical styles. Think of Oh No as a large blender, and OK Go as the experienced chefs tossing in ingredients that are at times, polar opposites. “Here it Goes Again” and “Television, Television” are the album’s climaxes, but you can’t forget about less gaudy songs like “The House Wins” and “Let It Rain”. The velocity of “Here it Goes Again” is perfectly juxtaposed with the cynical lyrics and fuzzy beats of “The House Wins”. But the versatility doesn’t end there: the album also travels back to the 60’s with “Do What You Want”, and then sends us back only a few years to “Crash the Party” and “Oh Lately It’s So Quiet”, which are both reminiscent of earlier OK Go. For the most part, though, the band isn’t all that talented. Considering the simplicity of “Here it Goes Again” and even “Television, Television”, the band hasn’t demonstrated their musical prowess. But, lead singer Damien Kulash’s voice can be counted as one of the band’s talents. The sheer versatility of his voice is unbelievable. His voice is sloppy, yet appropriate on “Do What You Want”, while he slinks back from center stage on “No Signs of Life”. He goes poppy on “A Million Ways”, only to follow with the toned-down “The House Wins”. OK Go has clearly changed since releasing their self-titled album. While OK Go was dominated by slower songs, Oh No has a decent mix of fast and slow.

SCORE: 5

Joe's Bottom Line: Seriously, don’t dismiss OK Go before giving them a try. OK Go’s versatility generally makes Oh No a pleasure to listen to.

SCORE: 5

Justin: I wasn’t expecting much more than mediocre dance music out of Oh No, but I ended up realizing that OK Go right up there among the best of alternative pop bands available. Sure, I like watching their synchronized dancing on treadmills a little more, but listening to them isn’t half bad either.

SCORE: 3.5

Videos

Here It Goes Again