So I was watching Tales From The Crypt and I thought “you know who’s a great musician? Danny Elfman.” And then I remembered that he was in that band Oingo Boingo and that’s who is on the chopping block for this review. Now I’ve really only heard like one or two songs those being Dead Man’s Party and Only A Lad so I’m curious to see how the rest of the songs sound. Let’s take a look………
Only A Lad- so this feels very much like an 80’s album and it’s even got a little bit of a punk vibe. It’s actually a really cool record and I wish I had listened to it a lot sooner. It’s got a lot going on with synth, horns, and guitars. Again a really cool and fun record and I’m giving it a 10/10
Standouts: Little Girls, Perfect System, Controller
Nothing To Fear- again much like the last record there is also a lot going on here. There seem to be a lot of layers to this music I can’t explain it you just have to hear it for yourself. Again a very cool and fun record and yet another 10/10
Standouts: Grey Matter, Wild Sex (In The Working), Why’d We Come
Good For Your Soul- alright so even though this album came out in the 80’s it’s got some ska elements which I guess you could say that they were ahead of their time? Who knows. Anyway, this is another fun record but I’m my opinion it’s just not as strong as the other two. That said, I’m giving it a 9/10
Standouts: No Spill Blood, Sweat, Who Do You Want To Be
So-Lo- ok so this isn’t really an Oingo Boingo record but more of a Danny Elfman solo record (hence the name) but it has Oingo Boingo members on it. I don’t know it’s weird. Anyway, it definitely sounds like an Oingo record so I’m not sure why it wasn’t released as such. If you enjoyed their albums thus far or are an Oingo Boingo fan then you’ve got to check this one out. I’ll give it 8/10
Standouts: Cool City, Sucker For Mystery, Gratitude
Dead Man’s Party- ah yes probably their most popular record or at least the one with their most popular song. If you liked the title track, you’ll definitely like the rest of the record. Again another cool yet weird record so I’ll give it another 10/10
Standouts: Just Another Day, Heard Somebody Cry, Weird Science
Boi-Ngo- you know with a lot of these songs, I feel like I could hear them in movies. I guess that’s what they were going for. This one actually has a darker tone to it than their other records. Overall, I couldn’t really get into it as much but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. I’m giving this one 8/10
Standouts: Home Again, We Close Our Eyes, Elevator Man
Dark At The End Of The Tunnel- this one is also pretty dark compared to their other albums. It actually doesn’t really sound like an Oingo Boingo album. It definitely has that 80’s feel and vibe to it despite it being released in 1990. This one to me is just ok. I’ll give it 7/10
Standouts: Out Of Control, When The Lights Go Out, Right To Know
Boingo- alright songs on this album are just weird and this one definitely does not sound like a Boingo album. Overall, it’s a pretty mediocre album and it’s probably one that I would skip. It’s really too bad because it’s their last album so until they decide to reunite and make more music, they’re kinda going out on a whimper. I’m giving this one 5/10
Standouts: Spider
Well overall, this was a very very fun deep dive. These are some fantastic records and I kinda wish they would reunite and tour. Now I do know that members of this band do play one off shows together and I might have to check that out if they still do those but definitely check out these albums. This is a very fun and weird band.
Final Grade: A-
Album Rankings:
- Only A Lad
- Dead Man’s Party
- Nothing To Fear
- Good For Your Soul
- So-Lo
- Boi-NGO
- Dark At The End Of The Tunnel
- Boingo
Sinister Reviews 