A long-awaited and pleasing return.
The wait is over! More than a decade after the release of their last studio album, Ok Go, the Grammy Award-winning alternative/indie rock band from Chicago, best known for their visuals and power pop records, makes a long-awaited return with the release of And the Adjacent Possible (via All Music). A pleasing return, and the Adjacent Possible, with its evocative storytelling and engaging accompanying music videos, adds nicely to Ok Go’s musical and visual catalog.
Much of the writing on And the Adjacent Possible can be characterized by sophisticated language (that occasionally begs one to consider having a dictionary on hand), a relatable world-weary tone, and enrapturing imagery that, among other things, shows that no one is alone in their sorrow and reminds of the joy of love.
The lead single and one of the most well-received tracks on the album, “A Stone Only Rolls Downhill,” with its soft melody and vocals, lulls you into a sense of calm that so beautifully juxtaposes the song’s rather melancholy topic: being unable to promise positivity (or anything, really) to one’s children in an unpredictable world (I wish I could say it would all be alright / I wish I could tell you it would all be fine / But a stone only rolls downhill / And these things / They’ll be what they will / What they will). In a similar vein, “A Good, Good Day at Last,” uses an upbeat chorus and sound (dripping with rock fervor) that clashes with the snarling teeth of its lyrics (They always tell ya / The darkest hour before the dawn / And maybe they’re not wrong / Maybe they’re not wrong / But that’ll only get you just so far before it starts to come undone / When it’s high noon/And there’s still no sign of sun and We held our breath and hoped and prayed so long / Started forgetting what we’re praying on / Been waiting so long) and vocalizations to express rage over unanswered prayers and broken dreams. In these unapologetic yet honest admissions and observations, it welcomes listeners to acknowledge and share the frustration of these difficult-to-deal-with parts of living and find peace in knowing they are not alone in their anger, anxiety, and weariness.
The most recent single, “Love”, a groovy, psychedelic charmer, reminds of all that is the best of love – of building a transformative, unique, and joyful connection with one who lights a spark in you – by evoking images of dancing in ballrooms (And in this grand ballroom of nothingness / Your hand so warm with somethingness / We whirl and twirl/And music’s invented again). By playing with these images, OK Go adds a grandiosity to their take on love, one that only heightens the intimacy, novelty, and excitement of an already captivating emotion. “Fantasy vs Fantasy”, a dreamy ballad, calls on simpler, yet equally moving visions of being in love (So, can I dance with you until dawn in your polka-dotted gown?/With Plantasia on in a superbloom of sound / Our hearts past overflowing/Oh please, let this be love). Though the song captures a delicious underlying cynicism (‘Cause heaven knows I could use something to live for / A song to hear over the buzz / And it seems to me you’re in the same boat that I am/In need of a dream to dream of / So please, oh please, let this be love) that cannot be ignored, as both partners look to love as a form of escapism from their realities, the images of the easy joy and pleasure of experiencing domesticity with a cherished partner can’t help but stir warmth and nostalgia.
Though this review is reaching extreme lengths, it would be unconscionable to not mention the accompanying music videos for this album. To keep things brief, through the released videos for “Love” and “A Stone Only Rolls Downhill”, OK Go builds upon their tradition of crafting unique, engaging, wacky visuals, adding delightfully to their already creative video canon and proving that their 2007 Grammy for Best Music Video was well-earned. They should not be avoided.
And the Adjacent Possible marks a triumphant return for OK Go, one that lyrically serves as a means of catharsis and recalls the enjoyment of love and visually continues a tradition of excellence.
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