Radiohead - In Rainbows
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Free Music Notes for In Rainbows
Free Music Review: Radiohead Evolves Well
Hit: 5 Stars
Firstly, it's almost impossible to talk about Radiohead's seventh studio album, In Rainbows, without saying a few words about how the band initially chose to distribute it. For those who've been hiding under a rock, Radiohead offered its latest album, at first, as a download only. They had no label, and when it was first released, not even a plan to get one. The price for download: the band's website said, "it's up to you." Click again and you're reassured by a second message: "Really. It's up to you." You could pay as little or as much as you want, including nada, zip, nothing at all, for the brand new Radiohead album. Legally.
This was a bold move, on several levels. Not only did Radiohead offer a big "F**k you" to the labels by cutting them out of the equation entirely, they also took a big leap of faith, asking their fans to pay what they think the music is worth. There wasn't a better band to do this than Radiohead. They've always had a bone to pick with the music industry, and given the chance to finally go out on their own, they relished the opportunity. They're also, frankly, rich enough to take this risk. It's not clear that smaller bands could really follow this model. But at this point, as the band themselves have pointed out, it's not intended to be a model: it's an experiment, and it's one we get to participate in with them.
But let's talk about the album. In Rainbows is Radiohead's seventh studio album, and it's probably the most melodic and tender album they've ever made. From a band known more for the vicious wail of their guitars and the alienated atmospheres of their forays into electronica, die-hards and skeptics alike might find it startling to see the words "Radiohead" and "pretty" next to each other, but In Rainbows marries the notion to the band as never before. There's a lot of warmth here, from the gorgeous ballad "Nude" to what can only be described as a love song, "All I Need," to the last song, "Videotape," a song that, at first blush, sounds a lot more optimistic than the Radiohead song called "Optimistic" from their album Kid A.
But scratch the surface a bit - you'll need a few listens before you even get below the veneer - and you'll start feeling the pull from the darker undercurrent that permeates this spellbinding collection. It's probably a reach to suggest that In Rainbows' songs are strung together by a larger narrative, but thematically, there are connections to be made between the songs. The lyrics often stand in ironic juxtaposition to the upbeat sound around them, multiplying the impact. The second song, "Bodysnatchers," blasts with the most exuberant sonic firestorm they've made since The Bends; but with lyrics like "I'm trapped in this body and can't get out," we shouldn't mistake the tone for celebration. And for as seductive as songs like "Nude," "All I Need" and "House of Cards" may seem, the lyrics suggest much darker themes of betrayal, infidelity and mortality. Against the relief of the gorgeous wall of sound that envelops these words, their poignancy only intensifies. This time, Radiohead has set us up for a slower burn.
It's probably safe to say that In Rainbows marks a turning point in Radiohead's style. Should we have expected anything else? This is a less confrontational Radiohead than what's come before. But maybe we should have seen that coming. Compare even the title of their last album, Hail to the Thief, an obvious taunt, to the way In Rainbows sounds when you say it. That `s the tonal shift you're hearing here. Kid A put the listener at arm's length; its brother Amnesiac did too, to a lesser extent. Hail to the Thief was more inviting, but more like an invitation to a rally, or an Orwellian Two Minutes of Hate. In Rainbows sounds more like an invitation to just come over and stay for a while. With a surprising amount of string arrangements, swelling sounds, crooning ballads and melodies that unwind into something almost casual, Radiohead seem to be in a seductive mood. There is complexity and there are surprises for the listener, just as we've come to expect from Radiohead over the years. But it's a more nuanced, subtler experience on In Rainbows. There are all the rich textures and layers here to appreciate, if you want to give the music your undivided attention; but unlike previous Radiohead albums, In Rainbows is also content to color the background, painting the room with lullabies.
Jonny Greenwood's guitar work is always brilliant, and on In Rainbows he's finding new directions, with consistently satisfying, intricate and inspired results. Drummer Phil Selway is also particularly imaginative here, with more than one track where he's mixing up the tempo mid-song. It's technical mastery, but it also isn't showy: as yet another element contributing to emotional impact, Selway's beats just plain work, and that organic approach is what separates mere wanking from wizardry. Yorke's voice, it probably goes without saying, is fantastic as ever, shining with special brilliance on "Nude," a song they've been kicking around for a decade now and finally laid down in a way they can be genuinely proud of.
The craftsmanship of In Rainbows is unmistakably good. Half of the songs are already playing in loops in my head, and I'm confident that "Reckoner," the album's eighth track, is among the best songs they've ever done. It's fantastic, really, and yet ... I confess, I still yen for that louder, noisier, and yes, more confrontational Radiohead. But I'm starting to feel like maybe that's gone. It's just not who they are anymore. Radiohead have always been a restless band, ill-content to sit in one place musically. In Rainbows is the manifestation of that restlessness, but it is also just a more mature album, made by more mature people. It is their next album, a reflection not of who they were, or who we want them to be, but who they are now, take it or leave it.
I'll take it. In Rainbows is the sound of Radiohead's evolution, and if they didn't evolve, they wouldn't be Radiohead. I embrace In Rainbows for what it is: a rich, delicate, gorgeous confection, both sweet and bittersweet.
Free Music Review: Radiohead - In Rainbows
Hit: 5 Stars
In Rainbows (2008, XL Recordings) Radiohead's seventh studio album. *****
There are several artists - Madonna and Bowie come to mind - who are chameleons when it comes to changing times. They are able to adapt to the what is up-and-coming, what the next big sound will be. Radiohead adapts as well, but not to be popular, not to fit in with the times. If anything, Radiohead creates the times, already handsomely showcasing heavy influence on many of today's artists. OK Computer was an album renowned for its ability to blend a three guitar attack with electronic sounds flawlessly. Kid A, while polarizing fans and critics at the time of its release, managed to yet again break new barriers, as it became among the first of the indie-electronica albums, and at that point the most successful. What Kid A also did was show Radiohead's outright refusal of the title of "The Biggest Band in the World."
Over their next two studio albums, they struggled to put out true quality recordings. Surely neither Amnesiac nor Hail to the Thief is bad, but they weren't as visionary as their earlier works, and in the case of Hail to the Thief, seemed like a combination of desperation to not only please the fans, but to squeak out an album to finish their contract with EMI. After that, the speculation as to what Radiohead would do next was tremendous. It wasn't until 2006 that anyone had a real clue as to what their fate might be. After performing at Bonnaroo, Thom Yorke's unexpected solo album The Eraser came out that fall. A flurry started, people claiming that The Eraser was a sign Radiohead was through. Yorke denied this, and finally word of a new album began to leak.
In October of 2007, the monumental In Rainbows was put out, the first of its kind not only in sound, but in its style of release. Fans were able to download the album online or pay for an $80 "discbox" which included two CD's (the album and a second CD of B-sides), two heavyweight 45-speed vinyl, lyrics booklet, and art booklet, all neatly wrapped in a fold-out case. For those who decided just to download, the option of paying whatever you pleased was offered. In the end, Radiohead made more money off of this one release than they had from royalties of all their other releases combined. The reaction from critics was phenomenal; not only was the music brilliant but the release scheme had worked in flying colors.
But In Rainbows isn't about the money, and it isn't about the way it was released. It is, in short, about how Radiohead crafted their best album to date. For a while I wrestled with the idea that In Rainbows was superior to OK Computer, and even after listening to both relentlessly it was hard to decide. What makes Radiohead the best band on the planet today is their ability to do whatever they want; OK Computer and In Rainbows sound nothing alike, yet it is impossible to mistake either for anyone else.
In Rainbows is the most personal Radiohead has ever been, most notably through the lyrics. The change in Thom Yorke's approach was apparent from The Eraser, which with its political message also mixed in songs concerning him and another significant person. The album is also a distinct difference because of the lower amounts of reverb put on Yorke's vocals. Though it is not without it, compared to Kid A, it is remarkably less.
Starting with "15 Step," a song with a blistering beat, Yorke spits out lyrics suggesting that In Rainbows is about a relationship; "You used to be alright/What happened?/Did the cat get your tongue?" And even when the songs are fast-paced and fist-pumping, like "Bodysnatchers," there is still a romantic feel to all of it. It comes through because of the lyrics yet again; "I've no idea what I am talking about/I'm trapped in this body and can't get out." The wistful, sighful "Nude," laments with one of the first entry of a string arrangement, something that becomes more prominent as the album progresses.
"Reckoner" marks one of album's best points, with a beautiful falsetto delivery by Yorke and a superb drum arrangement by Selway. And even when the album closes with the simple though haunting "Videotape," the listener must re-start the journey again. Like any Radiohead release, it is impossible to crack within one outing. In fact, one may miss the subtle details of "All I Need," because it's what marks the differences between it and its similar cousin, "Climbing Up the Walls."
The entire album sounds like a cleaned-up jam session, and while some may say that is a drawback, it isn't, if it is anything at all, it's an element that makes it better. These aren't simple arrangements. There's nothing that isn't compelling about the guitar part kicking into full gear and out of its muddiness on "Bodysnatchers" once the quasi-chorus starts up. There's nothing that isn't short of genius about the meandering in "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi." The jam element also tells us - and it's easy to hear - that the band is enjoying themselves. And anyone who has seen them perform this new material can attest to that. Quite simply, In Rainbows is a spinning blast of sound and color, a journey about the doomed relationship and all the emotions that come with it, a testament to the powers of the classical guitar and the wonders of electronic music, and an unforgettable entry in 21st century art. (15 Step, Bodysnatchers, Nude, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, All I Need, Faust Arp, Reckoner, House of Cards, Videotape)
Free Music Review: Reactionary review (written days after download release)
Hit: 5 Stars
The first band to ever officially release a Platinum-bound album before even finalizing their cover art (let alone going to the press), Radiohead rushed their first self-released album, In Rainbows, to their fans via the Internet less than three weeks after announcing they'd finished recording. They did it this way, sadly (and smartly), as a reaction to the currently hopeless state of the music industry. They also did it this way, one would assume, because they knew they had their fourth classic album on their hands. They did it this way because, frankly, they're Radiohead, and they do things differently.
Though consumers will be able to eventually acquire a copy of the band's haunting seventh LP in one of a few various "official" forms in due time, a name-your-price download is the proemial format. That goes for not just the music media, but also for the fans, who for one get to hear an album before it's reviewed. As for Rainbows' 10 songs, well, let's just say they're good, but that's expected, right? Big ideas demand big results, right? How's this: even when compared to Radiohead's mostly great catalog, these songs are worth celebrating.
The one thing that had been crippling Thom Yorke and Co. - and thereby muddying up their output - were the ever-looming expectations of living up to their signature album, OK Computer. Here, for the first time since that landmark album, Radiohead don't seem to care about expectations. They're not trying to reinvent the wheel (Kid A) or please fans (Hail to the Thief), they're just being Radiohead. They're not worrying about trends, deep conceptual themes or worldly relevance, they're simply playing in a band again, same as it ever was.
Opening In Rainbows is a distorted drum machine loop that works as a fixed backbone for the excellent "15 Step." Guitars, keyboards, various vocal layers, thrumming ambiance and live drums come in and out, building and bottoming for what is ultimately their best composition ("There There" aside) since Kid A. Next up is the energetic "Bodysnachers," a complex rocker that Radiohead and only Radiohead could come up with. Guitars (yes, real deal guitars) tease and tickle - both suble and rollicking - before announcing the official return of Radiohead, the best band on the planet, somewhere around the 3:33 mark. Not quite OK Computer- or The Bends-level guitarplay, but close enough.
Yorke's soulful vocals (which are better here than ever before), a strong inclination for thick, rhythmic Krautrock moodiness and an often less-than-full sound mark just three of the new tools Radiohead incorporate here. Really though, In Rainbows simply sounds like a band who have finally discovered how to operate within the confines of what they do best without feeling the need for grand gestures of massive style overhauls. Though the whole of In Rainbows very clearly sounds like the band responsible for Kid A and Hail to the Thief, closer "Videotape" is the only obvious fan pleaser (think "Pyramid Song" and "True Love Waits"). The thing is: it's good. Very good. Good enough, you'd have to assume, that it made the final cut over the eight forthcoming b-sides the band has already promised.
And let's not forget "Reckoner," a song they originally wrote in 1997. The best song of 2007? Well, it's at least very close. Within the sweep of the band's most typical set of tools - subtle melodic guitar, entranced vocal harmonies, sprinkled piano licks, strings, calming machine-gun drums, etc. - Radiohead do what they do best: construct. It's all there, the details, the vocals, the lyrics and even the guitars. Everything you'd expect from Radiohead - including their inventivness - plays a part in the all-around specialness that is In Rainbows.
Also important to discuss with any Radiohead album is production value. To the dismay of many bored-but-loyal fans, In Rainbows utilizes longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. Known for his ability to twist just about anything into an epic (including crappy Paul McCartney albums), Godrich's treatment here is thankfully a bit less in-your-face. Rather than melting everything into a potpourri of swirling sound, he's finally letting things pop. He's layering, but only 30 or so tracks per song, as opposed to the 100-plus heard on the band's last four albums.
About as minimalist as Radiohead gets these days, In Rainbows is still huge, thick and vast, but without the Thief-like sheen this long-labored, fragile set of compositions shine for what they are, brooding . Brightly. Yorke's soars more than ever and Ed O'Brien and Jonny Greenwood's guitars (at least when they choose to really play them) are ablaze. But the key here is the band's unrivaled knack for structure. As was the case with OK Computer, In Rainbows is fast-thinking, moving from idea to idea seamlessly, leaving in its tracks a deceivingly complex batch of accessible prog-rock songs.
Due to how In Rainbows was released, it's bound to go down in rock geek history as one of the pivotal moments of the current transitional download era. Everything about how the album's release was handled is interesting, and, with any luck, it just might scare the fleeting corporate set straight. Err ... half-straight. Thankfully for fans In Rainbows is not just an album with a story, but a great album with and unthinkably great story. File this one right net to OK Computer under "landmark." (Greg Locke)
Free Music Review: FINALLY.
Hit: 5 Stars
So, it's been 4 painful years without a new Radiohead release. We were treated with Thom Yorke's solo album lost year, which was a welcome release, and definitely a good one, but I, like many other people I'm sure, we're ready for Radiohead to release a new album. They went on an extremely long tour and showcased many new songs, so they were bound to put out a new album sooner or later. So, finally, they release In Rainbows.
So what is In Rainbows like? Well, I'll tell you this first off: It's a huge departure from the cold, other-wordly synth electronic that was present on the last 3 albums. The electronica is still there, but it gives off a different atmosphere. In Rainbows is much warmer, and a lot more quirky than previous Radiohead release. I have no doubt that many people will try to compare it to their previous albums, and say "this album sounds like [insert album title here]", but to me, this is something completely new for the band. Now, to be fair, the lyrical content is similar to the themes of Ok Computer: Fear, pessimism, and the feeling of concern and worry. But the music can't be found on any of their previous albums.
The first song, 15 Step, shows off their new electronica style. The beats are quick and pedantic, and in stark contrast to those on Kid A and Amnesiac. Bodysnatchers will surely become a fan favorite, with it's crunchy guitars and frantic jazzy drums, as Thom Yorke sings "Make A Sound/move back home/a pale imitation/with the edges sawn off." It's probably my favorite song on the album. Then there's Nude, which starts off with alien synth, and goes into a relaxing ballad with some rather depressing subject matter. The album picks up its pace with Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, with quick drums and mellow guitar riffs. I'm not really sure what the lyrics mean, but if I had to give any interpretation, I'd say that it's about conformity. There's a lot of reverb and echo in Thom's voice in this song. The keyboards in the song is very atmospheric. It's almost a collaboration of all sorts of sounds: rock, indie, jazz, electronica, ambient, and avant-garde. It's deiniftely one of my favorite songs off the album. All I Need is about isolation and/or the obsession with one person. It's the first song on the album that has any reminescence of Kid A or Amnesiac. It starts off with a lot of atmospheric, almost gothic, organs until it turns into a gorgeous synth-driven doom crawl. There's alos the use of xylophone in the chorus, as well as some sweeping effects. Faust Arp makes use of violins and slide/acoustic guitars. It's the shortest song on the album as well. Reckoner has a lot of jazz influence, but, unfortunately, doesn't stand out that much. Like others have said, the melody is pretty much the same throughout the song, and the lyrics aren't really anything to behold. However, it's by no means a bad song; it just doesn't stand out as much as the others. The album is saved with House of Cards, which reminds me of Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, in that it's a big collaboration of sounds, with droning synth, echoing vocals, mellow guitar and bass lines, and a simple, but catchy drum beat. The atmosphere is very chilly, but that's welcome, since it varies things up a bit, and it works well for the song. The next song, Jigsaw Falling Into Place, is another acoustic-driven song, but it's much more upbeat and varied than Reckoner. It's a very catchy acoustic pop song. I think it's about the troubles of every-day life, and how when you're about to forget them, they all come back to you and ruin your day as Thom sing "Just as they play your favourite song/As your bad mood disappears/No longer wound up like a spring/Before you've had too much/Come back in focus again". You can always count on Radiohead to sound human, which is something a lot of the fake, manufactured bands of today can't do as they try to look and appear like they're gods. Videotape is a relaxing piano ballad. It's hard to say what the lyrics mean, but I think it's about a person who's dying, so he's making a videotape for his loved ones to watch him say his famous last words. It's a very beautiful song and my second favorite off In Rainbows. In contrast to the somber piano, it has a lot of chaotic, electronic drum beats, which may or may not be symbolic. Weird Arpeggi is pretty much the same thing as House of Cards. Why this is I have no idea, or understand why they even wanted to do this. Nonetheless, it doesn't take away from the greatness of the CD.
Even though it took forever for Radiohead to release an album, and even though there will tons of rumors about them breaking up, and even though they teased us by saying "Yeah, uh, we have some new song. Don't know if when or if we'll release them on an album.", I'd proudly say that In Rainbows is one of the best albums of 2007 and a worthy addition to their catalogue. Of course, you can be sure that all of the purists will be anal and tell you that this album sucks because it's not an exact clone of Ok Computer. Don't listen to 'em, and judge for yourself, although I have a strong feeling that you'll like if you're a TRUE Radiohead fan.
P.S. What's funny is that I wouldn't even know that this album exists if my aunt, who's also a big Radiohead fan, didn't give me a copy of the album while it was being offered online only to buy.
Free Music Review: In Rainbows
Hit: 5 Stars
Could Radiohead's seventh album have come at a more appropriate time? Arriving on the heels of the major labels' ugly jury trial victory against a file-sharer (Jammie Thomas from Brainerd, Minn., was fined $222,000 for sharing 24 songs), In Rainbows is poised to drive a large nail in the RIAA's coffin and begin the "Industry vs. Internet" discussions anew. "It used to be just [having a release] on a major label was a source of prestige and status," said Danny Goldberg, former CEO of Warner Bros. Records and Mercury Records. But that was before Napster, blogs, Myspace, esteemed indie labels, album leaks, YouTube and Tower Records' Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Slowly but surely, the industry-induced barrier between music and listeners continues to erode.
When Radiohead asked fans to name their own price for the download-only version of In Rainbows (£0 was an option), I initially interpreted it as a moral conundrum, a test to see how much they would pay for something they could buy on CD for $18.95. Yet that tiny but powerful phrase on the order screen, "It's up to you," seemed only to be the band's way of lowering the aforementioned barrier by placing control in the customers' hands, and another means of connecting with the millions of people who connect so strongly with them.
In Rainbows is bound to resonate with listeners, but not in the way you'd expect. It's warm and inviting, densely layered even at a crawl, and surprisingly mellifluous. It isn't that Radiohead veers away from the function they've served since OK Computer (inverting their internalized anxiety with tropes and imagery), they've just found prettier ways to do it, and fans that have already heard the record consistently speak about the music above all else. The first sounds to flow out of the speakers are Phil Selway's serpentine drums, crisply teched-out à la Battles' "Leyendecker," as though Selway were hitting the heads with live wires. Yorke's opening line, "How come I end up where I started? / How come I end up where I belong?" sounds a bit out of place alongside the Greenwood brothers' comforting guitar-bass interaction and Selway's fluid drum patterns, but when Yorke repeats it near the end, "15 Step" has morphed into a frustrated, minor-key Insides song for the 2000s, burning with repressed energy, and everything makes sense.
Radiohead pays careful attention to their openers as scene-setters, and if In Rainbows can be distilled down to a single track, "15 Step" would arguably be it. Here and elsewhere, conflicting emotions meld together into a dizzying, dazzling tableau, as the chemistry between the band and their technology-wielding producer Nigel Godrich only continues to improve. "Bodysnatchers" finds all of them locked in a tight guitar-led groove that threatens to fly off the handle but dexterously maintains its equanimity, like the rocking midsection of "Paranoid Android" without the acid-tipped barbs. It's nicely followed by "Nude," the dreamy comedown that Yorke actually performed in the late '90s and might have ended up on Kid A. In fact, several songs here date to various points in the 2000s, but In Rainbows sounds anything but cobbled together; clearly, Radiohead has gone to some length to fit the larger pieces of the puzzle as seamlessly as the elements in the songs themselves. Even "Faust Arp"--somewhat insubstantial on its own--works as a fine bridge between In Rainbows' two halves.
"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" is Radiohead at their most conventionally gorgeous, its stacked arpeggios from Yorke's guitar and Johnny Greenwood's Ondes Martenot keyboard pouring themselves over the track like so much nectar. Though Yorke's darkly imagistic language pops up here, the backing music is so dulcet that getting "eaten by the worms, weird fishes" may just be a metaphor for falling in love. Such smoothly executed dualities are all over In Rainbows: "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" is both upbeat and slightly sinister, while the song's protagonist watches the club she's in become blurry and finds herself caught between dancing and running away. In "House of Cards," Yorke intones, "I don't want to be your friend / I just want to be your lover" over the album's most spring-like guitar lick. That Radiohead is now easier than ever to enjoy on casual listens is actually a big reason why they remain fascinating under the microscope.
We might say that In Rainbows is fairly smooth going the whole way through, were it not for "Videotape." I surmise that much will be written about this song, since it harkens back to vintage Radiohead closers ("The Tourist," "Motion Picture Soundtrack"), but also because--unlike the rest of the album--it's spare and direct and heartbreaking, the way Cat Power's You Are Free became more devastating the fewer instruments she used. A lone piano plays in empty space, soon joined by Yorke: "When I'm at the Pearly Gates / This will be on videotape." And over the course of the song, instruments and voices conjure a soft lament while the drums grow increasingly warped, like the tracking bars on some forgotten VHS carrying a precious memory. For better or for worse, Yorke and his band are back where they started and where they belong, yet wholly in their element and of their moment. Whether In Rainbows stands the test of time is entirely up to you.