OK Go - This Too Shall Pass

I’m picking a song by OK Go this week, and I am willing to fight about it. Their sound may be a bit lighter, a bit poppier, not quite as heavy as what you’re used to, but they are a rock band, and, behind their massively elaborate and extremely impressive music videos, there’s great music. Even if you haven’t made a habit of listening to the band, I’m willing to bet most of you have seen at least one of the band’s intricate music videos, from backyard dancing and Rube Goldberg machines to treadmills, simulated zero gravity, and marching bands. The band deserves an award (and one of their videos won a Grammy) for their videos alone.

This week’s song is This Too Shall pass, a deliberate, ephemeral, carefully structured track. The band weaves each piece of the song into the others, building a complex, punctuated, and undeniably catchy tune. The lyrics also bring a solid message, urging listeners to hold on through turmoil, a message that may surprise some, but their lyrics often touch on serious, emotional, and complicated issues.