gold & green

The stateside release of OOIOO's albums has been somewhat confusing, to say the least: Thrill Jockey issued their third album, Gold and Green, four years after its predecessor, Feather Float, was released domestically, and a year after the album that followed it in Japan, Kila Kila Kila, made its U.S. debut. Muddled time lines aside, Gold and Green is another winning album from the OOIOO collective, which this time expands to include Sean Lennon and Yuka Honda. A series of shorter pieces open the album, with tracks like "Moss Trumpeter" and "Tune" mixing harmonica, synthesizer, wind chimes, and cuckooing flutes in a typically playful, refreshing fashion. "Grow Sound Tree" and "Mountain Book" are the album's fittingly named epics, both with a majestic ebb and flow that suggest natural wonders. The chanting and punchy drums on "Ina" and "Unu" emphasize the group's witchy, tribal side, while the frantic funk of "I'm a Song" and the surprisingly glamorous "Emeraldragonfly" reinvent pop as only OOIOO can. Gold and Green may be the band's most approachable album, but as with all their releases, it's a charming reminder that experimental music doesn't have to sound like it was hard work to make.