With the following gracious words, Radiohead’s grand experiment moves into the delivery stage:
THANK YOU FOR ORDERING ‘IN RAINBOWS’.
THE LINK BELOW IS YOUR UNIQUE DOWNLOAD ACTIVATION CODE.
Upon clicking the link on their screens, fans around the globe silently thank Al Gore for inventing the internets and watch as the long awaited and highly controversial new album from Radiohead zips to their computers…
Gotta go. I’m not done listening. So far, it’s amazing.
Read on for a review:
“15 Step” opens the record with Thom Yorke’s vocal over a complex, double dutch beat, the guitar comes in after a verse and slowly, they ease you into the album. This song is great they all sound good, even on a fairly low-bit-rate mp3.
“Bodysnatchers” starts with a dirty bassy groove and a lyric that expressions confusion and dismay and perhaps some paranoia as guitar riffs combine to complement the confusion. It’s a full blown rocker too.
“Nude” was the first to really blow me away upon first listen. I think this is not because the first two tracks aren’t as good but more that this one is a decided pace shifter. As trite as is is to say a Radiohead song is haunting, this one fits. The ethereal backing off the slow tempo guitar/bass/drums and Thom’s voice soaring above… chilling.
“Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” is simply a terrific track. I won’t begin to try and say what it’s about but I’m quite enamored with it. With the quick tempo and crisp guitars, this would make a strong single.
“All I Need” down shifts again presenting a ballad as only Radiohead does it.
“I am holidays that you choose to ignore.
You are all I need.”
The plodding synth bass dominates as bells shimmer on top. Together with crashing cymbals it builds to a delightful climax.
The shortest track on the release, “Faust Arp” clocks in at 2:10 but it is terrific. With a rapid fire lyric over a bed of acoustic guitar and strings it’s short and bittersweet.
Our resident Radiohead ‘expert’ and hardcore Mets fan tells me that “Reckoner” has been completely reworked from the arrangement previously heard on stage. Without going back to compare I’ll take his word as gospel and say that I love this arrangement. The vocal bridge (supplemented by more strings) is heartbreakingly beautiful.
“House of Cards” opens with a solo, electric guitar playing a mid-tempo soul riff. Distant echoes of wordless vocals swirl around at first before Thom opens up and sings,
“I don’t wanna be your friend,
I just wanna be your lover…”
Wow. The production doesn’t scream torch song but this might well be one. From Radiohead. Cool. Wait. Now he’s singing about “infrastructure collapse” and “denial.” You just can’t pidgeonhole these guys, can you? I’m sure they’d be happy to hear that.
“Jigsaw Falling Into Place” mixes acoustic guitar with the synth and a hot tempo tells some sort of story… I’m hearing images of a night club, dancing, love slipping away all coming together in a very listenable song. what does it all mean? Like most of these songs I’ll have to visit them again and again before a uniform impression forms.
Lastly, ” Videotape” begins with a just a piano and Thom’s vocal. The drums on this one are amazing but, I’m left with this lyric in my mind,
“You are my center when I spin away,
Out of control on
Videotape.”
Like any Radiohead album (or any great artist, for that matter) it’ll take some time to crack this nut. But I can tell you, after two passes through (the second being a close listen with a lot of pausing and backing up) this is a worthwhile record. I’m really looking forward to living with this for a while and, eventually, receiving my discbox. If you like Radiohead at all and are on the fence, wait until the servers settle down and get yourself a copy.