Even though it’s been over 4 years since their last release, Radiohead somehow manage to stay in the forefront of modern alternative’s elite. So naturally, it’s quite a big deal when they finally release an album.
I’m sure reviews of In Rainbows will litter the internets quickly; but as for my first listen impressions, this is a great Radiohead album. I don’t quite consider it their best ever as greenplastic does... yet. It would take quite a lot to wrestle my affections away from OK Computer.
In this record, Radiohead gets about as close to sounds they created in The Bends since... well, The Bends. I doubt this was an accident. Thom’s first lyrics are “How come I end up where I started?”
Focusing less on electronic elements and bringing in more orchestration and (gasp) guitars, they retain the mantle of greatness we’ve all thrust upon them. But something’s different. The band sounds almost upbeat and happy. Or about as happy as Radiohead can sound. There’s still an aura of melancholy, but In Rainbows is a noticeable departure from their ominous landscapes of pending (or post) apocalypse and the general downfall of mankind.
Street Spirit, with it’s lyrics “Immerse yourself in love” could fit right in on this album, and I think a lot of people are going to be happy about that. Me, I’ve grown to love Hail to the Thief as much as any of their records and am just glad to have some more Radiohead material.
Stand outs for me so far are Reckoner, House of Cards and All I Need.
No comments:
Post a Comment