Curiouser And Curiouser
If you want to broaden your taste in music then you've come to the right place; it doesn't matter which genre you prefer, Oh No Ono offer something quite quite different. The Danish 5 piece have been named 'Breakthrough of the Year' by the Danish equivalent of the BBC and they're exactly the kind of far out and crazily inventive act that music pundits are always lauding for such accolades, but do they do it for the people?
The first listen will have you utterly puzzled, but thereafter, you'll begin to appreciate the wacky blends of genres present on 'Yes'.
The opener 'The Strawberry Festival' is a beautiful piano-based intro that ripples with serene elegance out of your stereo with only a touch of cosmic tones disturbing the majestic meandering. It gives little away as an opening track as the majority of the tunes sound like they're beamed to your listening device from underwater with a the tinny, helium-addled vocal sound of tunes like, 'The Shock Of The Real' transformed into a full on BeeGees squeal for the funked up 'Victim Of The Modern Age' which sounds like the soundtrack to a particularly vibrant cartoon.
The synths on, 'Keeping Warm In Cold Country' conjure up images of a manic merry-go-round before the frantic pop harmonies kick in at breakneck pace transforming it into a fizzy retro pop sensation with gyrating bass. 'Practical Money Skills For Life' has a shimmering disco beat. The only relatively conventional song is the soft-centred, 'Sunshine And Rain At Once', a sweet and charming ballad with blissful vocal harmonies, surrounded by a mass of technicolour tunes from the decades that invented technicolour. 'The Only Undead' for example, contrary to its name, is an upbeat tune based on a cheeky riff, while, 'Am I Right?' is a fast and furious electro stomper with snarled spoken word lyrics bursting out of the tense vamping rhythm.
In short, 'Yes' is a fabulous mix of pop, electro beats and far out vocals that's sure to inspire a strong reaction once you get beyond the initial perplexion. It's a strange and enchanting world where anything can and does happen, but the brave listener might find an entertaining new band should they take on the Oh No Ono challenge.