The first time I heard Ok Go’s song “This Too Shall Pass” was when I saw their great video on YouTube. I really liked it. After listening a few times I realized that the audio was distorted but figured it was because it was on YouTube. Later I heard the song on the radio and it was still all muffled and distorted. Well today I finally got to listen to the cd and was disappointed to discover that the entire album is distorted. This is not a warm fuzz, but the cold crunch of music that was over-cooked when mastering the album. The kick drum clips, the bass crunches, and the vocals are all muddled together.
In an interview on the “extra nice edition” of the album the producer defends the distortion on the album. “You’re missing the point. We want it to sound, even at the lowest audible level, like your shit is on fire” A band member chimes in “We want it to sound totally fucked up. That’s why its awesome”.
No that’s not awesome; its a sad little gimmick.
The album sounds like how many local band’s recordings sound; all crushed and muddled because they had the levels set wrong during mixing and mastering. If you’re an unsigned band with no budget: rock on. But if you’re a working band who pays good money to cheaply distort the music you worked so hard on: shame on you.
Add Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky to the pile of loudness war casualties that include Metallica’s Death Magnetic and Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Californication albums. I’m certainly not paying for music that was “totally fucked up” on purpose.
Remember kids: No one wins the loudness war.
Pirate Gaspard 