OK Go

10/07/2002 10:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Mike Lipton

Grand, radio-friendly powerpop if there ever was any, this Chicago quartet is quickly winning over legions of fans and critics alike. Fronted by agitated frontman/songwriter Damian Kulash, the group tosses in plenty of points of reference--a number of which are decidedly British--to establish its pedigree.

Throughout the dozen tracks, you'll hear echoes of popsters past, from the Queen-styled handclaps that open "Get Over It" and "C-C-C Cinnamon Lips," to the Beatlesque harmonies and "Ballroom Blitz" drum beat of "Don't Ask Me" and the catchy, Cars-like, two-beat of "You're So Damn Hot." George Harrison guitar and lush, string patches harken back to ELO (or Jellyfish, or...) on "What To Do" which, with lines like "compassion's just a nicer way of looking down your nose," is more than just clever. Concise is the name of the game--from the larger-than-life guitars and synths that make brief but terribly effective statements to instantly catchy hooks and grooves. But all these "references" don't mean that OK Go doesn't hit it its own quirky stride--but those tunes--"The Fix Is In," "Shortly Before The End" and the murky "Hello, My Treacherous Friend"--are (intentionally, I'm sure) sequenced deeper into the disc.