Thursday 9/3: A.G. Cook—"Oh Yeah"
Today, we share our thoughts on a new song by the English pop songwriter and producer, A.G. Cook.
Welcome to Endless Scroll, the brainchild of Eli Enis (he/him) and Eric Bennett (they/them). Since Feb. 2019, we’ve been a weekly podcast about music, the internet, and where those two things intersect. Now we’re, also a M-F newsletter about songs. Our format is simple: a link to a song and a short take from each of us about what we think of it. Each day of the week has a corresponding genre: Monday is indie, Tuesday is punk, Wednesday is hip-hop, Thursday is pop, and Friday is misc.
Today, we share our thoughts on a new song by the English pop songwriter and producer, A.G. Cook.
A.G. Cook—"Oh Yeah"
Eric Bennett:
It’s almost an understatement to say that A. G. Cook’s understanding of how to make captivating pop music is preternatural. After having spent years pioneering the future of pop music from the helm of PC Music, it seems Cook has turned his attention to the past. “Oh Yeah,” the lead single from his second album of the year, Apple, is relatively simple. No pulsing, contorting bass; just a beat, the strums of an acoustic guitar, and Cook crooning. It could have been the song of the year, were we still in the early aughts. American Idol contestants could have driven it into the ground. But we’re here, in the age of hyperpop Cook worked towards, and “Oh Yeah” is just a really great, refreshing pop song.
Eli Enis:
For years, A.G. Cook made music that aimed to invert the glitzy pop that had become the mainstream standard by the early 2010s. His entire PC Music kingdom operated on the premise of pushing elements like auto-tune and Eurodance sound design beyond their accepted limits, forming a new experimental pop order that was mystical, bold, and usually a little silly. Now, after releasing a 49-song, multi-genre album in August that served as a compendium of his myriad stylistic interests, he’s reverting to the only place a pop extravagant can go to remain transgressive: minimalism. “Oh Yeah” is total Owl City “Fireflies”-core. It’s not quite as earnest and soaring as that song, which wiggled its way to becoming a Top 40 anomaly during the fledgling years of auto-tune domination. But its skeletal architecture, straightforward melody, reserved use of auto-tune, and air of coffee-shop-dwelling-white-guy feels distinctly “Fireflies”. In case you can’t tell, I mean this as a compliment: “Oh Yeah” is a terrific pop song, and I’m partial to anything that recalls misunderstood late 2000’s pop and recent Bladee with equal measure.