Yes, the new Radiohead album is out, and it’s solely available through their website. If you haven’t heard, the band have established their own distribution model, allowing consumers to pick their price. In case you’re curious, I elected to pay £4 (with a £0.45 service charge). I wouldn’t worry too much about reports that the files are below cd-grade quality; at 160 kbps you’re still getting pristine sounding files that are superior to the 128 kbps mp3’s most of us are accustomed to.
There comes a point when you have to concede that Radiohead is the best act around. I realize that band comparison requires some measure of subjectivity but with the works of art they put out one album after another, nobody else can even touch them. ‘In Rainbows’ is no exception to their long streak of non-disappointing LP’s. In fact, I’m surprised at how good it is, even given their track record. After first listen (and without accounting for the bias of not compensating for the discounting factors of time and repeat listens) I’m ready to declare that ‘In Rainbows’ is the best album EVER. Yes that's right. Ever. OK, maybe that's a little extreme but I don't remember ever connecting with an album this fast. Give me another week to qualify my declaration.
The record has an eclectic blend of jazzy guitar riffs and dance-pop drum beats—I’m guessing Thom Yorke is really into his one-handed, open-palmed, wrist-twisting dancing these days, and a lot of the tracks appeal to that dancy, head-shaky feel. The sonic experience is incomparable. I read an article about how the band were working to incorporate this technology where the tracks are recorded through a true-to-life dummy head (making the proper calculations for the distance between human ears and such) so as to create the illusion that the listener is actually in the recording studio with the artists. Radiohead have mastered sound layering and this album in particular does a phenomenal job of layering strings and basslines and drums and computer beats and Thom’s melodic voice into one ethereal sound experience. And the best part is: they have 8 more songs to be released (hopefully through the same distribution system) sometime around Dec. 3. Long Live Radiohead!
Key Tracks:
15 Step – They always know how to start their albums off with a kick-A track #1. This song features an excellent guitar riff and an infectious beat throughout. I could listen to this one on repeat for a long time.
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi – This track is a more gentle version than I was expecting based on the angular, guitar-heavy version I heard live. But I love it all the same. I’m baffled as to how Jonny/Thom can sustain that intricate picking pattern through the whole track.
Faust Arp – I dig how they blend the acoustic guitar in with the strings ensemble. This is one of their more feely, melodic songs, and I think it might even be about love. Imagine that.
Reckoner - This has to be my favorite song from the album. I lose it when the piano kicks in. As Chris J. noted, "Betta Reckonize!!".
Rating: 9.8
2 comments:
You put it into all the words that I was looking for. Beautiful review on a simply outstanding piece of artwork. Why get high on drugs when you can get high on Radiohead?! This is musical ecstacy!
I am not jimping on the best album ever bandwagon (that still goes to Music has the Right to Children doesn't it?), but I will admit it is a tremendous listen.
Just got Apparat. I like that one too.
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