Review Summary: OK Stop
Hungry Ghosts panders to the nth degree by suffocating each track with obnoxious blaring synths being completely devoid of originality. While not every OK Go record is a home run at least you could tell they were trying. The record is overproduced beyond belief, making differentiating each track a chore. While this new direction is not a welcomed one, there are a few moments that make the album not a complete waste of time.
Hungry Ghosts is very similar to modern indie bands like Foster the People, but with a prevalent electronic tinge. The tracks are immediately catchy and filled with grandiose hooks, but after all is said and done nothing sticks. It’s fun and all while it’s going on, but remembering a lyric or synth is a nearly impossible task. The music works best when it’s at it’s most eccentric or quirky, video game bleeps and bloops on “I’m Not Through” are a joyous addition when the chorus is about as timid and underwhelming as it gets. The drumming on the record is it’s saving grace, shining when there is silence to be filled. The main problem with
Hungry Ghosts is that it repeats it’s choruses often beating the listener to submission with stale lyrical cliches and ham fisted song-writing. OK Go also forcibly jams superfluous noise into a majority of the tracks making sure ADD riddled teenagers are being stimulated, to the detriment of the album’s quality.
Not everything is garbage on
Hungry Ghosts, for example the final track entitled “Lullaby”. The song’s soothing vocal harmonies work wonders when OK Go gets rid of all the electronic elements. It’s a heartfelt closing note, which feels especially genuine in comparison to the rest of the album. The guitar playing feels warm and natural, a far cry on a middle of the road electronic album. The previously mentioned “I’m Not Through” has a groovy vibe including well implemented cowbells and video game sound clips, that entertains to no end. “I Won’t Let You Down” screams single material, with many similarities to Foster’s “Coming of Age”. It’s upbeat and positive atmosphere is contagious, but like many other tracks on
Hungry Ghosts the song’s pitfall is in the lyrical department, where lead singer Damian Kulash spouts out cliched reaffirmations of his love.
If you aren’t a fan of OK Go now,
Hungry Ghosts won’t change your mind. It plays it extremely safe by moving away from their pop rock origins to the current fad of electronically tinged pop music. Stand out moments are far and few between, and they really are only good in comparison to the overproduced drivel that makes up the rest of the album's run time. Do yourself a favor, and skip OK Go’s uninspired
Hungry Ghosts.
