album of the week: 9.1

OOIOO

ARMONICO HEWA

commmons (2009)

why you'll love it - pure melody. fascinating and fun

why you'll hate it: noisy bitches yelping gibberish

OOIOO is best known for its association with the interstellar krautrock act, Boredoms. If you haven't heard of either of these bands before, you're in for a... yeah. Essentially, OOIOO uses tribal chants, well tuned guitars, and lots of percussion to create this surprisingly inviting and exciting atmosphere. Songs abandon your typical form of pop structure. Many tracks end up in places entirely different than the start, while others bleed into the next track to continue the rhythm. This is very much an album and not a collection of songs.

The second half of this album is where it will click with a first time listener. Listen to this whole thing! Don't just skip around. I've found those second half payoff tracks, like "KONJO" and "HEWA HEWA" very much rely on the previous buildup to be fully appreciated. You may feel frightened and lost as the album begins, but you'll be left wanting more when it ends.

Strange stuff here, but it's all surprisingly approachable with new ears. For returning OOIOO fans, I've already ranked this as my second favorite of theirs, just behind Gold & Green. It's very much in the same style as Gold & Green, resting comfortably between out there stuff like Tiaga, and groovy jams found on Feather Float.