Have you heard the new album and if so what do you think of it?
By jend80
@jend80 (2071)
United Kingdom
October 10, 2007 11:58am CST
Here's my review -
first impressions of first listen - written track by track.
I'm liking it so far - first track is surprisingly upbeat sort of electrofunk pop - well for Radiohead, track two is very Paranoid Android/|There There with a bit of the "flan in the face, flan in the face" (I think) bits of Hail to the Thief.
Nude is beautiful - sounds almost exactly like it dates from around Fake Plastic Trees
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi - D&B and lovely piano ripples. beautiful floating vocals full of yearning. Perfect Radiohead - total synthesis of their highest points from all periods mostly without being deriative of them.
At least up to around 4mintutes followed by more D&B and spacey doomyness, wondering into both No Surprises and How To Disappear And Never Be Found territory.
All I Need - more dark floaty glitch/pop has a bit of a Postal Service - The District Sleeps Alone Tonight vibe to it. Beautiful sounding yet disturbing lyrics, obsessive love song? This is wonderful - best song so far. Very falling asleep listening to Peel or VPRO.
Faust Arp - kinda appropriate that the first lines to this are "Wakey wakey rise and shine. Has Thom's familiar paranoia rush of words from the few albums but quieter, mellower and near classical music, instead of jerky histerical delivery and electonica. A return to words drifting across space. Feels too short.
Reckoner - sudden sharp shock after the previous track. sounds like a machine assembly system attacking your brain, first fighting then strangely becoming a rhythmic accompaniment to the melodic tune and vocals. Oddly U2 like (but in a good way) reminds me of The Hands That Built America - Exit Music For A Film & Sail To The Moon too.
House Of Cards - harder but at the same time soft echoing.
oh god this is beautiful - like angel voices. Could do without the reminder of bloody Texas "I don't want a lover" from the line "I don't want to be your friend, I just want to be your lover". Nicely fluffy.
Is this a metaphor for the collapse of capitalist society or just stealing somebody from a house, 2 cars, kids, high salary husband, relationship/freeing them from that existence.
Jigsaw Falling Into Place - Bends/Ok Computer territory only with paranoiac electronic glitchy beats. Feels like a panic attack again, near the end, like whole chunks of the last three albums + Paranoid Android
Videotape - another tender ballad, (with lo key glitch/pop touches) but the vocals sound distorted just like as if on the watched and rewatched recording of Thom's life. Simultaneously warm and disturbing. Hypnotic music loop. Thom sounds hopeful yet mournful Could be depressing - narrator planning suicide? or very uplifting - not scared of death because he's been truly alive - "no matter what happens now, shan't be afraid because I know today has been the most perfect day I've ever seen"
3 responses
@mrselarbee (6)
• United States
28 Nov 07
I am more excited and please with this album than I had hoped to be. I am a huge radiohead fan and love all of their albums, but since I thought Thom Yorke's solo album was pretty terrible (and it was the last album to come out) I was a little nervous about it. By the second listen, I knew this was going to be one of my favorite albums. I listened to it like five times a day for the first week I had it (my dad had the same reaction, he listened to it over and over again). This is either my favorite radiohead album or a close second behind OK Computer. If you do not have it, get it (and please pay well for it).
1 person likes this
@OldManKensey (16)
•
14 Nov 07
yeah I've heard it and I like it a lot... though it's no The Bends. my favourite song is probably Videotape, seems a suitable closer for the album. hopefully they'll produce something a little louder/edgier with the next release.
1 person likes this
@eztaxmx (6)
• China
20 Oct 07
eh..I am a Chinese..First I want to say I can't entirely understand your article.My English is not so orignal.But I can feel what you want to express,because I love Rh so deeply.I have listened to their new album,too.Their style didn't disappear,but continued.I still can remenber those great titles:Paranoid Android,Nice Dream,Let Down……