There’s nothing that can be said about Radiohead that hasn’t been said before. Words like brilliance and perfection are casually empty adjectives that bare no significant weight to Radiohead’s résumé. Every album is sensational, ranging from Brit-pop to abstract rocktronica, so let’s cut the jibber-jabber and get down to brass bolts: “In Rainbows.”
The band’s seventh proper album comes four years after “Hail to the Thief,” and it’s the first album the band has not released with Capitol Records.
And in case you hadn’t already heard, Radiohead released “In Rainbows” as an official mp3 download at whatever price you feel is reasonable, meaning this album is virtually free to whoever wants it. And while this is a considerably strong selling point – excuse the pun – Radiohead once again proves to the world that its music is truly priceless.
“In Rainbows” starts with “15 Step,” a pretty throwback Radiohead tune fine-fixed with a slight reminiscence to Thom Yorke’s solo album “The Eraser.” As the opener progresses, melodies and ambience surge with anticipation as they once did on “OK Computer”; and it’s safe to say all of Radiohead’s opening tracks are concrete album statements – “15 Step” is no different.
While it is generally more subdued than one might expect for an opener, endorphins kick into overdrive with “Bodysnatchers” – simply the most cohesive, straightforward rock song Radiohead has produced since “Airbag” kicked off “OK Computer.” Other heavy-hitting highlights include album-tracks “Nude,” “Faust Arp,” and “Jigsaw Falling Into Place,” among others.
A track-by-track analysis would be pointless since they are obviously all so great, so let’s step back and look at the bigger picture of “In Rainbows.” Even the big picture can effectively be summed up in one word that comes to mind when describing its auditory theme: sexy.
This album has a smoky sexiness unparallelled by that of the band’s previous releases. It’s an album of love, sex, loss, beauty, romance and passion. Lyrically and musically, Radiohead makes beautifully crafted four-minute masterpieces, recalling the accessible romanticism found in 1995’s “The Bends.”
Yorke croons on a wholly new and matured songwriting level, again proving that after years of experimentation Radiohead can still relate to the average non-genius.
But in all likelihood, Radiohead is just pulling a fast one on all of us, and this audibly erotic album is actually layered with politically and socially charged subliminal messages.
And honestly, would you or anyone else care? No, because this album is simply that good.
The genius of Radiohead as a band relies on the fact that its fans are always excited to hear what avenue the band will explore. Will the band members ever return to their rock roots? Are they going to sonically expand upon the electronic-rock mash-up? Are they going to get even more political? Or, are they going to do something unfathomably unexpected?
In the case of “In Rainbows,” it’s a combination of the former and the latter. Radiohead surprises fans this time with a (relatively) stripped-down album that shows that after nearly a decade of rocktronica avant-garde, they can still be an accessible act with shiny pop-rock gems.
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