Review Summary: "ツ" – Oh No! Yoko, 2011
The phrase "the good old days" refers to, for me at least, an age where responsibilities were moot, where life was filled with a sort of unconquerable and unbridled joy. "The good old days" almost invariably refer to moments in childhood where idealism and energy abounded, where there were pretty much always more good days than bad. A sonic equivalent of this youthful exuberance can be found on Oh No! Yoko's "Pau Pau", an album that is, in short, quite delightful. The four-piece band from Montreal plays a brand of infectious organic indie pop, and they do it with almost a casually quirky flair that grants them a kind of invulnerability from the seriousness of the rest of the musical landscape. Each song is replete with numerous hooks, and Oh No! Yoko proves that the band just can't seem to write a dislikeable song. While they pack an almost absurd amount of good ideas into each song, the album is almost conveniently short yet sweet. And indeed, the lovable point in time that the band personifies calls to mind a previously hidden nostalgia. It is as if Oh No! Yoko has discovered just the right aural formula to tap into memories of good times had; with a just-right mix of creative drumming, almost childlike vocals, a comforting bassline, and addictive noodling, Oh No! Yoko has written a charming album that I will cherish proudly for years to come. But maybe it's just because I'm a '90s kid.
ツ
