Houston Calling

My hat’s officially in the ring. Review: Radiohead, In Rainbows

October 19th, 2007 · No Comments

By now, you’ve heard the hype–and may or may not have contributed to the band’s experiment. I recently wrote a review of Radiohead’s new album, which should appear (in some form or another) in the November issue of Envy magazine.

Radiohead
In Rainbows
Self-released

With the dramatic shift Radiohead made with Kid A, long-time fans–and listeners drawn to the band by OK Computer and its big-time hit “Karma Police”–were left scratching their heads. After all, why would a band on the cusp of superstardom choose to essentially alienate their newfound fans? In essence, however, this is what makes Radiohead such an interesting band. Sure, they may play the major label game–up until In Rainbows, that is–but they always seem to do it on their own terms. Forsaking guitars for electronics and samples, the band’s last three albums have been, to some, experiments in tolerance. On their new release–available only as a name-your-price digital download or pricey box set from the band’s website–Radiohead seem to have learned their lesson. Gone (for the most part, anyway) are the blips and beeps that littered the digital landscape of Kid A, Amnesiac and Hail To The Thief. In their place are more structured songs (“Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” “House Of Cards”), guitars (“Bodysnatchers”) and melodies (“Faust Arp,” “Jigsaw Falling Into Place”) that were mostly absent from the band’s recent work. On In Rainbows, Radiohead still utilizes elements of electronica but instead of forming the basis of the songs, they lend a supporting role which leads to a focused, more mature album. The years of experimentation have definitely paid off.

Your thoughts on the album–and the way they released it–are welcomed and appreciated.

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