As far as bursting onto scenes go, Chicago’s OK Go couldn’t have done better. ‘Get Over It’, released in 2003, was a rock anthem that held your balls hostage while frontman Damian Kulash sung sweetly and fluttered those eyelashes of his. Then came their debut album, and the quality of their power pop nosedived in a manner not seen since the Farnborough Airshow.
Thankfully for the boys, they’ve another chance to redeem themselves and have learned the error of their ways: instead of repeating old mistakes they’ve gone and made a whole set of new ones. No longer are they devoid of melodies strong enough to merit radio play. Instead, they’ve nicked everyone else’s, from Jet (‘Do What You Want’) to Weezer (‘It’s A Distaster’) to The Strokes (‘No Sign Of Life’), and even Buggles for crying out loud (on ‘Here It Goes Again’). Musical thievery isn’t necessarily a felony on its own, it’s just that when you can pinpoint each influence so accurately, you’re prompted to ask: what is the OK Go sound? A: They haven’t found it yet.
One would have hoped that decamping to Malmo with Franz/Cardigans producer Tore Johansson would inspire a journey of self-discovery, but whether it’s under confidence or a mis-executed attempt to draw in a large range of sounds, it’s not the tightly-packed punch needed to justify the privilege of a second chance.
And not even the coolest video in the world can change that.