The good news about this next
review is it is finally an album by this band that I could enjoy. The better news was that there is only one
album left by them for me to review.
Disc 597 is….In Rainbows
Artist: Radiohead
Year of Release: 2008 (digital
version came out in 2007, but mine is a hard copy).
What’s up with the Cover? I don’t know. Is it
a splatter of paint and a footprint that vaguely resembles the universe? Maybe
it is just my mind trying to find pattern in random beeps, not unlike my
relationship with most of Radiohead’s later music.
How I Came To Know It: Sheila is a Radiohead fan and for
many years I would diligently buy her their latest album, assuming she would
want them all. Unlike me, however, she’s
not a completionist, so it was never that important for her to have them all.
How It Stacks Up: We have seven Radiohead albums, and of the seven “In
Rainbows” is the best of the worst, which puts it fourth.
Rating: 2 stars but almost 3
“In Rainbows” is Radiohead’s best
album in ten years (dating back to when “OK Computer” delivered their last
“OK” album). I remember being pleasantly surprised when it came out and was
actually looking forward to reviewing it, because I remember it being a return
to form. Despite going in the right
direction, it is still a long climb up from “Amnesiac” and “Hail to theThief.”
The musical content of “In
Rainbows” is definitely more listenable, and there are even melodies in this
record, particularly on “Reckoner”
and “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” which
are strangely beautiful and where Thom Yorke’s “alien drowning in the tub”
voice works to good effect.
This all comes together best on “All I Need” where I was reminded how
great this band can be. “All I Need” is a haunting song about
desperate love, a slow and stark descent into self-loathing and masochism. It opens:
“I am the next act waiting in the wings
I am an animal trapped in your hot car
I am all of the days that you choose to ignore
You are all I need.”
These are the bright spots, and
there are more than a few on this record, but just as often production
decisions are made that drown the melodies and voice alike into a wall of various
sounds. Exacerbating this are songs where significant parts of the melody come
at you through only one speaker channel. I think the intent is to have a sort
of ‘underwater’ quality, but it feels at times more like standing in an ocean tide
right at ear level, with the water rushing in and out over your eardrums.
The music definitely sets a mood,
at least and kind of reminded me of Moby on that front, except instead of being
relaxing, the mood is more consistently off-putting. Why a band would put that much effort into
making you feel uncomfortable is beyond me.
Guys, there are so many nicer moods to set. In other places they
reminded me pleasantly of Beck, but without the funky riffs that make Beck so
much more listenable.
Before I sum up I think a word is
in order on the presentation of the CD. “In
Rainbows” was initially only released digitally (in 2007) and only months later
could you buy a hard copy. For long time listeners like me (i.e. – older music
guys) this was annoying, and felt like a combination of a slight on my chosen medium
for music and a publicity stunt.
When it did come out in hard
format, it came in a cardboard folder, with stickers that you could peel and
stick to a jewel case for a more traditional look. Something told me this would not look good, so
I never peeled the stickers. On the plus
side, I hope that means the album is
worth more someday – maybe $5 instead of $3 as CDs make their way into the
dustbin of dead technologies.
The liner notes print the lyrics
(which I appreciate) but did them in a very weird full justification and
various coloured fonts that combined make them hard to read. Note to all bands; it is fine to get all
artsy on the liner notes, but if you decide to print the lyrics, at least make
them easy to read.
Like the liner notes, “In Rainbows”
has a few tracks that reinforce my long-held frustration with the band’s later
work; sacrificing the makings of good songs on the altar of cleverness. At
least this time around some of the songs shine through from time to time,
generating moments that are both creative and (shocker!) actually enjoyable to
listen to.
I could have given this album
three stars instead of two, but the truth is I am just tired of working so hard
to like these guys.
Best tracks: Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, All I Need,
Reckoner, Jigsaw Falling Into Place
1 comment:
I tried to like them. Gave it a few solid attempts. But in the end, like you, I found it just wasn't worth the effort...
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