Oingo Boingo

About

After reaching a commercial and creative peak with <i>Dead Man’s Party</i>, Oingo Boingo felt free to move on to a new chapter with 1987’s <i>Boi-ngo</i>. While “Outrageous” reignites one last round of Boingo-style dance rock, most of the album is markedly more introspective in tone than what had came before. While Danny Elfman once sang about surreal hallucinations, “We Close Our Eyes” is a quiet, bittersweet song about looking the mirror and understanding human mortality. The album’s sweet and sometimes humble attitude is a refreshing change of pace following seven years of outlandish dance rock. Yet Elfman hadn't abandoned his fascination with funk. “Home Again” and “Elevator Man” are muscular slabs of rhythmic rock ‘n’ roll with dense arrangements that precede Elfman’s impending forays into the world of film scoring. The best thing about <i>Boi-ngo</i> is that the songs are never what they seem on the surface. Even a club-worthy rhythm like “Pain” becomes more intriguing when the listener looks past its ingratiating beat to absorb the lyrics.

via Apple Music

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