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Hungry Ghosts Image
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 22 Ratings

  • Summary: The fourth full-length release from the Chicago indie pop band was produced by Dave Fridmann.
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  • Record Label: Paracadute
  • Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock, Indie Electronic
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Oct 14, 2014
    80
    All in all, Hungry Ghosts is another solid album from one of pop's most versatile and charming bands.
  2. Alternative Press
    Oct 14, 2014
    80
    These 12 songs are far more immediate than the sometimes-diffuse material on 2010's Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky. [Nov 2014, p.92]
  3. Oct 14, 2014
    78
    Hungry Ghosts may not be the musical evolution that fans sought after four years, but OK Go’s bold pursuits of creativity in all media remain exciting still.
  4. Oct 22, 2014
    70
    The songs aren't quite memorable enough to hold your attention, or make you wonder if there's anything going on beneath their expert exteriors.
  5. Oct 14, 2014
    60
    Hungry Ghosts feels like two steps forward for OK Go and one step back.
  6. Under The Radar
    Dec 19, 2014
    50
    As the album progresses, it becomes hard to listen to without wishing each song had its own kinetic, creative video. [Dec 2014, p.88]
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Dec 13, 2014
    8
    This album was a big move from OK GO. The majority of the album is less quirky than its predecessors; Aside from the track "I Won't Let YouThis album was a big move from OK GO. The majority of the album is less quirky than its predecessors; Aside from the track "I Won't Let You Down," the album is far less dancy and more focused. While I appreciate the professionalism and their decision to take their music more seriously, I will seriously miss the pop and dance driven beat of the previous leaders of the slacker-rock. That being said, I have to give the album points for the brilliant and engaging live performance that accompanies it, not to mention the expectedly viral music videos. This album was an impressive turn for one of the best bands that I grew up with. I hope that in the future OK GO can keep up the perfectionist song writing shown throughout this album and find room to develop more dance driven and upbeat songs like "I Won't Let You Down." Expand
  2. Nov 17, 2014
    8
    Some of Hungry Ghosts is straight up funky, and I can't resist dancing. Other parts slow it down a bit, but in a way that doesn't entirelySome of Hungry Ghosts is straight up funky, and I can't resist dancing. Other parts slow it down a bit, but in a way that doesn't entirely work. I appreciate the direction OK Go is heading, but to create an emotional song using the same instruments found on-stage in an 1978 disco is something best left to those performers. Expand
  3. Jan 14, 2018
    7
    This is an extremely unique and original album. It's a pleasure to listen to thanks to the love-centered lyrics and crazyThis is an extremely unique and original album. It's a pleasure to listen to thanks to the love-centered lyrics and crazy computer-electronic-sound music. Lets talk about the lyrics. Like pop music, most of the songs on this album are about or inspired by love stuff. I've never heard love songs just like the ones on this album; none of the songs on Hungry Ghosts are stale. "The One Moment" and "The Great Fire" are the best songs lyrically, both exceptions to the other love songs on this album, being about more profound stuff. Musically, the faster songs are better. One problem I have the more upbeat songs is that some of them are annoyingly catchy. It's really hard to get the music and lyrics out of your head once you hear "Writing's On the Wall", "Upside Down & Inside Out", "Obsession", and "Turn Up the Radio." Overall, the lyrics on this album are too shallow to call Hungry Ghosts an excellent album, but I would say that it is just shy of excellent. Expand
  4. Oct 20, 2014
    7
    OK Go has not released an album since 2010. The hiatus has ended with the release of this new album, Hungry Ghosts. Prior to the album'sOK Go has not released an album since 2010. The hiatus has ended with the release of this new album, Hungry Ghosts. Prior to the album's release, the Upside Out EP dropped, containing four tracks from the new album: "Turn Up The Radio", "The Writing's On The Wall", "I Won't Let You Down", and "The One Moment".

    The album starts off very strong with the one-two-punch of "Upside Down & Inside Out" and "The Writing's On The Wall". "Upside Down" Is a fantastic opener, which is fast and full of distorted, stuttering vocals that reveal a shouting chorus that is quite memorable. "The Writing's On The Wall" is a wonderful second track that fits right into the album. Its sound is huge,with the majority of the instrumentation coming from the bass. Its lyrical content spawns lines such as "...the mind has no say in affairs of the heart", as well as many other "deep" thoughts spawned from breakups.

    While the album's singles do an excellent job of keeping the album afloat, some of the songs on the album tend to get repetitive and boring. "Another Set of Issues" is a track that I have found myself skipping due to the repetition of the same few lines which are, towards the song's closed, played on top of each other. "I'm Not Through" is definitely nothing special, but is good for a few listens. The same could be said about "Bright As Your Eyes".

    "Turn Up The Radio" is definitely a high point on this album, and is followed by "Obsession". "Obsession" is a song that took me a while to enjoy, but has grown on me and is now one of my favourites. This track is simple, with a looping guitar chord progression and Damian Kulash's almost-whispered vocals. The chorus is quite hook-y, and makes this song one of the best on the record.

    The album climaxes with its eighth and ninth tracks, "I Won't Let You Down" and "The One Moment". Both of these songs were previously released on the EP. While the former of the two can be repetitive, it is a breath of fresh, disco influenced air. The latter might be one of (if not the) best song on the album. "The One Moment" has been compared in structure to a U2 song, which is certainly not a bad thing. The track includes more guitar than synth (synth takes over much of the record), and also incorporates some piano chords thrown in. The chorus is wonderful and memorable, and is an excellent climax to Hungry Ghosts.

    The final three tracks of Hungry Ghosts are "If I Had A Mountain", "The Great Fire", and "Lullaby". "Mountain" is definitely the best of the three closing tracks, sporting emotionally driven vocals and catchy melodies. "The Great Fire" is synth-heavy and features somewhat memorable lyrics and vocals, and breaks away in the middle for a slow, harmonized guitar solo. "Lullaby" is an interesting closing track. It is driven by acoustic guitars, making it the only acoustic track on the album. The melancholy guitar present in the first few seconds reminded me of Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys)'s solo work on the soundtrack for the film "Submarine". Any similarity is then done away with as slow, harmonized, floaty vocals tell us to go to sleep. While this track is certainly not the strongest on the album, it manages to do a good job of closing the 12-song record. Especially if you're listening to the album while trying to sleep.
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