OK Go

OK Go is back with a sophomore release that puts its brilliant debut to shame. Offering intelligent lyrics, infectious melodies and a bratty Brit-pop swagger borrowed as much from Let It Bleed as from Blur, Oh No turns loose thirteen party anthems that never sacrifice kick for cleverness. Swedish über-producer Tore Johansson (Franz Ferdinand, the Cardigans) traded studio trickery for live performances that lend an immediacy and rawness to this pop-rock powerhouse’s perfectly polished song craftsmanship and tighter-than-Tito chops. Booty-rock juggernauts “Invincible” and “A Million Ways” dare the hot-blooded listener to sit still, while the soulful “Oh Lately It’s So Quiet” and the sensitive “Let It Rain” prove OK Go can do more than dance. Meanwhile, “Crash the Party” pays a visit to Damon Albarn’s neighborhood, and “Television, Television” serves as an excellent update to Elvis Costello’s “Radio Radio.” Dancing shoes and thinking caps highly recommended.