Ok GO

Quirky American alternative rock group Ok GO have been around for the better part of seventeen years now, and in that time they have made a Grammy award-winning viral music video involving running machines, featured in countless video games, and created ‘The Burrito Project’ which entailed handing out burritos to homeless people before gigs.

Despite these bizarre antics – to name a few – they are back with their first brand new album in five years entitled ‘Hungry Ghosts’. As loved as this quartet are, it can almost seem too easy for anything they release to be immediately classified as pure gold, but does this rule apply to this latest full-length? Well, for the most part, Hungry Ghosts is quite simply delightfully enjoyable. The brilliance of Ok GO is that they’re just ridiculously inoffensive fun that you find yourself enjoying even though you think you aren’t, and with tracks like the feel-good ‘Turn Up The Radio’ and the brilliant funk of ‘I Won’t Let You Down’ you can’t help yourself but to bob your head along.

This isn’t to say the band can’t piece together an exceptional serious and mellow song, as second track of the record 'The Writing’s On The Wall' brings together some remarkable musicianship. Similarly, album standout 'The One Moment' creates some quite genuine emotion, particularly felt in frontman Damian Kulash’s Damon Albarn style voice as he beams out the chorus.

As the trance-infused ending of 'The Great Fire' and aptly named 'Lullaby' drift away with the words “just go to sleep” echoing out we are left with yet another Ok GO album that just completely robs us of our ability to dislike them. If you listen to music for the sheer enjoyment or fun factor then these are most certainly the guys for you. While they may not be the deepest of acts, Ok GO excel in the biggest factor of all – entertainment, and I’m sure they have plenty more where this came from.