O.M.G!

Rusko
O.M.G.!
8.0 out of 10

Blink too quickly and dance/electronic music will change before you know it. I gave up trying to keep track of all the different offshoots. I am generally not a fan of artists who stick to one style and never stray or vary from it. I enjoy it when an artist has a distinct style, but then subverts expectations and shows versatility without foresaking their core sound. Rusko is primarily known for his work in dubstep; best known for his slamming singles "Cockney Thug" and "Jahova." If you are ever in a club and "Jahova" comes on, prepare for the crowd to go insane.

O.M.G.!, the first full release of original music by Rusko, is an amazing overview of dance genres over the past decades, all seen through the filter of dubstep. The album really shows his range and willingness to embrace a more mainstream/poppier sound. My friend Kurt and I had a discussion the other day about how most dubstep purists will likely look down on O.M.G.! because of this willingness, however, we felt that if it opens the genre up to a bigger audience there is nothing really wrong with it.

There are many pure dubstep singles that are on par with "Cockney Thug" and "Jahova." "Woo Boost," the first single and track on the album is a standout.



As is "Oy (featuring Crookers)."



"Scareware" is almost goth dubstep.



Where Rusko shines for me on this album are the more mainstream tracks. There is a beautiful track with Amber Coffman of Dirty Projectors which I could easily see on the top of the R&B charts.



And on "Raver's Special," which is a nice little old school dance track.



Rusko is talented enough to encompass other genres such as drum n' bass for "Kumon Kumon," Jamaican dancehall for "Rubadub Shakedown," and even dirty rap with "Got Da Groove (featuring Gucci Mane)."







O.M.G.! is not a perfect album. Sometimes Rusko seems to be trying to fit every genre in the world into the 14 tracks and can get a little distracted with some pretty lazy genre exercises ("My Mouth" and "I Love You" are the worst offenders). But the hits far outweigh the misses. But for those who love albums with a lot of diverse sounds, you can't miss with Rusko.